Living Through the Pain
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: Bella is found six years after she was kidnapped. Can her friends and family save her from the pain? DEALS WITH DARK SUBJUCT MATTER AND GRAPHIC ABUSE. MA for language, violence, and just about everything else you can imagine.REWORKED & EDITED.
1. Chapter 1

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. I had decided to pull the whole story, rework it, and repost it. I think it will be better now.**

I moved slightly, stifling my cry from the pain radiating through my body. I couldn't be loud or he will just come hurt me again. I could feel the darkness around me. The darkness used to scare me but when you've been in the dark for two thousand, ninety-five days, you get used to it. It's the when the light comes on that I get scared. When the light comes on, I knew that my next day in hell is just starting.

I used to be a lot of things before he brought me into the darkness. I used to laugh. I used run around and play with my friends. I used to jump in my fathers arms and let him swing me around. Then one day it all ended. He pulled me away from my family, my friends, my life. He took me away from my happiness. Now instead of running outside in the yard, I was cowering on the cement floor of my dark prison. Instead of jumping into my father's warm inviting arms, I have been turned into his whore. Instead of getting to run around with the best friends a girl could ask for, I was laying on the cold cement floor, trying to stifle my cry. I was laying on the cold cement floor trying to keep the cuts in my back and stomach from bleeding again.

Suddenly, I could hear people coming down the stairs to my personnel hell. I scrambled as quickly and quietly as I could into my corner, wishing I could disappear completely. The door to my hell got thrown open. Someone reached over and flips the bright light on and I ducked my head into my arms, pleading with myself not to peek up at them. The consequences would be harsh.

"Oh my god," whispered a voice I have never heard before.

I wanted to look to see who it was but he might be one of the bad men. I could feel it as someone came over and knelt down next to me. I couldn't stop myself from flinching back and curl myself up waiting for the blow I know is coming. However, the blow doesn't come right away and I wonder why he hadn't hit me yet. They never like to wait for my pain start.

"Sweetheart, you're ok. We are police. Can you tell me your name?" he whispered again.

I just looked up at him. He was staring at me, waiting for me to answer him. I could feel my cold, naked, filthy body shake as I looked up at him and the other five men in the room. They were all wearing police uniforms like my daddy does. I wanted to tell him who I was but what if this is a trap? It wouldn't be the first time he set me up like this.

"We need a bus to 5021 Mason Lane ASAP," said one of the officers in the back of the room.

"10-4, the bus is in route. ETA 4 minutes," said a female voice from the radio.

"Sweetheart, can you tell me your name?" asked the officer directly in front of me again.

I just looked at him. If this was a trap and I talked to him, he will hurt me worse than he did last time. Last time he had men dress up like cops, I begged them to help me. He left me on the table for three days letting those men hurt me over and over. I just ducked my head down and tried to disappear again.

"She isn't going to say anything to us," he whispered to the others.

"Come on, sweetheart. I'll get you out of here," said one of the other officer's as he reached out and grabbed my hand.

As soon as he grabbed me, I could feel my body began to shake violently. I had to fight back. I had to scream for help. I could see the door open. If I fought back, maybe I could leave my hell. I didn't want them to hurt me like the other men did. I kicked my feet trying to get away from the man holding my hand.

"NOOOOOOOOOO. DON'T HURT ME. I'LL BE GOOD. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME," I screamed as I tried to kick the officer away. I could feel the cuts in my body start bleeding again.

"CALM DOWN, SWEETHEART. WE AREN'T GOING TO HURT YOU," He shouted as he wrapped his arms around me. "What in gods name did her do to her?" he whispered softly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I'LL LET YOU DO WHAT EVER YOU WANT. JUST DON'T HURT ME. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," I screamed.

"WE AREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING BUT HELP YOU, SWEETHEART. WE STOPPED HIM. YOU'RE SAFE NOW," he shouted over my screams.

"NO," I screamed, flipping my body flop back and forth in my attempts to break free. It was pointless but I still had to try.

"Look at how scarred her body is," whispered one of the men behind us.

I felt my entire body begin to shake as I fought against the man holding me against his chest. He just wrapped his arms tighter around me, whispering that I was ok, and held me until I slowly felt myself fall into the darkness. I prayed that the hellish life of Bella Swan was almost over. I prayed that my death would be swift.


	2. Chapter 2

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

**TWO MONTHS LATER**

I felt the plane hit the ground softly causing me to jump slightly. I tried to hide it as good as I could but I knew they saw it. The plane rolled to the gate. I took a deep breath and pulled out my carry on bag. I slowly walked off the plane behind my father, Charlie, and my mother, Renee. My brother, Emmett, had his arm wrapped around me as we walked through the crowded airport. There are reporters yelling questions at us from all sides. I flinched as I was blinded by a flashing bulb. Emmett just pulled me tighter into his arms, shielding me as best he could. It's been five years, eleven months and three weeks since I had been in the small town of Forks, Washington. Part of me was glad to be back. The other part of me was terrified. I wasn't the same girl I was when I was taken away from my family. I used to be carefree and happy. I used to be innocent.

"You doing ok, Bella?" asked Charlie as we loaded into their car.

"I…I don't know," I whispered softly.

"Bella, maybe we should find someone for you to talk to," whispered Renee.

"NO!" I screamed suddenly. I could feel the panic rising up inside of me. I couldn't do that. "I CAN'T."

"It would help you heal, baby," said Charlie, nearly pleading with me

"Please, Charlie. I….I can't. Not yet," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.

"Ok, B. We will wait until you are ready," said Emmett, tightening his arm around me.

We made the rest of the trip home in silence. I knew Charlie and Renee meant well but it was hard enough for me to come back here much less spill my secrets to some stranger. The past six years of my life have been like living in the fiery pits of hell over and over. Until two months ago, I lived in fear every second that I was going to die and never see my family or friends again. I used to have great friends before that day. Now I worry about how I am going to live around the people I haven't seen in nearly six years.

My twin brother, Emmett, and I were born and raised in Forks Washington. We have always been incredibly close to each other. I used to complain that Emmett was too protective of me but I didn't really mind it so much anymore. He was the only person I could stand to have near me right now. Growing up with Emmett was always fun. He was always much bigger than I was but he was always the biggest teddy bear. I looked over and studied my brother for a moment. He was still much bigger than I am but after living in the dark for years, I was not to surprised that I was so small. Emmett had curly brown hair that is longer than he used to wear it. While we both had our father's dark hair, he had Renee's blue eyes. I had Charlie's brown eyes. Emmett's face was full of sadness and pain. I just leaned my head on my brother's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, holding me snuggling against him.

"Em?" I whispered softly.

"Yeah, B?" he murmured, softly so that he didn't scare me.

"Do they know I am coming back?" I whispered as a tear fell from my face.

"Yeah, they do," he whispered.

"Are they going to be there when we get home?" I asked, nervously.

"Yes, but if you don't want them there, I can call them and tell them to leave," he said, quietly.

"No, I want to see them but I'm going to need you to help me," I whispered.

"I will always help you, B," said Emmett as we pulled in front of our house.

"Bella, honey, you ready?" asked Renee.

"I guess," I whispered.

I slowly climbed out of the car after Emmett. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders again and pulled me close to him. Our house looked exactly the same as it always did. We lived in a big white Victorian manor on the edge of town. I looked at the two houses to the right and left of us. Emmett and I spent just as much in those two houses as we did our own.

The house on the left was the house that Rosalie and Jasper Hale lived in. They were also twins. Their parents, William and Catherine, used to tease us that something was in the water in Forks when we were born because the people that lived in the house to the right were Edward and Alice Cullen, another set of twins, and their parents, Carlisle and Esme.

The six of us have been best friends since the day we were born. Literally, since the six of were born on the same day. They used to tell us how even in the hospital, when they would take one of us away the other five would start crying. We wouldn't stop until we were all together again. Our parent's said that after we came home from the hospital that they would have bring us all over to one house so we would stop crying. We shared an amazing bond. I wondered if it would still be there after everything.

Our small group used to be inseparable and impenetrable until that day. We used to spend everyday playing together at one of our houses, usually Carlisle and Esme's. The rest of our parents worked so Esme would take care of us. Carlisle was a doctor at the local hospital. Esme chose not to work so she could raise her kids. William and Catherine were both lawyers. Charlie was the chief of Police and Renee was a teacher until I was taken. Emmett told me that now they have a small coffee shop downtown. We would spend hours riding our bikes or playing down by the river. The six of us always knew we could count on each other. Or at least, I did. I missed them all more than I would admit to anyone, except maybe Emmett.

We slowly walked into our house. Charlie pulled open the door. Emmett pulled me into the house so that I was just inside the door. For the first time in almost six years, I found myself face to face with my friends. They had all changed so much since I was taken. I looked at Rosalie first. She had always been tall but she had to be at least five feet ten inches of all legs. She was absolutely gorgeous. She had a curvy body, long silky blond hair, and big blue eyes. She had tears pouring down her beautiful face.

I looked at Jasper next. He was at least six feet two. He was bulky but not quite as muscled as Emmett was. He had wavy blond hair and the same blue eyes as Rosalie. He gave me a soft, gentle smile. He had his arm around Alice, who was also crying. Somehow, I was not to surprised that they are together. He was always so calm and she was the energizer bunny on crack. He was the only one who could calm her down. She was always the shortest of us all. She still was, although I'm not much taller than she was. Maybe an inch or two. She had long silky black hair and bright blue eyes. Next to her was my Edward.

If I was going to pick one of them as my best friend, it would be Edward. I realized when I was gone that I was in love with Edward. He kept me safe in the darkness, protected me and made me feel like, maybe one day, I would be okay. I doubted he would ever feel the same as me, especially now. He was completely gorgeous. He still had the same unruly auburn hair and bright green eyes that he had when we were little. Edward was always the most reserved of us all but I could get him to do anything. The two of us used to sit for hours in the hammock in the back yard and read or talk. We both loved music. I took piano lessons with him when nobody else would take them with him. I looked down at my scarred hand. I knew my piano playing were done. I looked back up at my friends.

"Hi," I whispered.

**Thank you for all the reviews over the first chapter. For those of you who have read this before, thank you for coming back to it. I love this story, as difficult as it is, and I want to make sure that it's the best it can be. While the plot and most of the major things will stay the same, I am going clean this sucker up chapter by chapter and make it better. I appreciate you all sticking with me. **


	3. Chapter 3

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

"Hi," I whispered softly. They all took a step forward and I automatically took a step backwards. Emmett just pulled me closer into his embrace.

"Hey, B," said Rosalie, awkwardly. "We missed you."

"I missed you guys, too," I whispered softly, letting a tear fall from my eye.

"You look good," said Alice.

"Thanks," I muttered knowing it is a lie. I looked horrible and we all knew it. "So do you. I….I like the longer hair, Ali."

"I do too. It's much easier than the pixie cut," she chuckled.

"But now we can't call you pixie," I giggled, quietly and tried to smile through my tears.

"True, but we can still call her the energizer bunny," smirked Edward. I laughed loudly, causing everyone to look up in surprise.

"More like energizer bunny on crack," I teased, looking right at Edward.

I felt Emmett loosen his grip on my shoulder as my body began to relax. I gave him a small smile before I walked over and threw my arms around Edward's waist. I felt the same tingle I always felt when Edward touched me. He slowly wrapped his arms around me and hugged me gently. My tears were swimming in my eyes and I wasn't sure if they were good tears or bad.

I felt it as Emmett crossed the room and put his arms around the both of us. Slowly, Rose, Alice, and Jasper came around and hugged us. I felt at home for the first time in nearly six years. I almost felt safe. Almost but not quite. After a few minutes, we pulled apart and I looked around.

Carlisle and Esme were standing in the back of the room with their arms wrapped around each other. Alice looked just like Esme except for the fact that Esme had the same auburn hair and green eyes that Edward had. Edward looked like Carlisle. The only difference is that Carlisle had black hair and blue eyes, just like Alice. They both smiled at me. I just smiled back at them, trying to make it real. I wasn't sure it came off as real though. Next to them were William and Catherine. They both had blond hair and blue eyes. I couldn't figure out the expression on either of their faces. I suddenly felt uncomfortable with all the attention in the room so I looked back at the others.

"E…I…can't…" I mumbled as I began shaking from all the eyes on me.

"Let's go to your room," whispered Edward.

He pulled me into his arms and led me upstairs to my room. My bedroom was on the left side of the hall and Emmett's was on the right side. In between our rooms, was the bathroom we shared. Charlie and Renee's room was downstairs. I walked into my room and felt a tear fall from my eye. It looked exactly as it did before I was taken. The walls were light pink, there were white lacey curtains in the windows. My bed still had the same pink blankets on it. I shuddered at the brightness.

"I am going to have to change this room," I whispered as I sat down on my bed and pulled my knees to my chest. "The pink needs to go. It's too bright."

"What are you going to paint it?" asked Rosalie.

"Something dark. Maybe a dark purple," I muttered, shrugging my shoulders.

"That would be cool," said Jasper, nodding his head.

"We could get you some posters of your favorite bands," said Alice, smiling at me. "Who do you like now?"

"I don't know. I haven't listened to music since…"I trailed off. "It's been awhile."

"Well, we will just have to bring our CD's over so you can find what you like," said Edward. I looked over at him. He smiled and winked at me. I quickly turned away.

"I would like that," I said softly. I looked over at Alice. She had her head on Jasper's shoulder. "You and J, Ali?"

"Yeah, been a couple years now," she said with a soft smile.

"I always knew you two would get together. He was the only one who could calm you down," I mused as I wrapped my arms around my knees.

"It's true," she chuckled, leaning further into Jasper. I looked over and noticed that Emmett and Rosalie were sitting very close to each other.

"Em, is there something you need to tell me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, no," he said confused.

We had spent much of the last two months together. He was the only person I told everything to. Well, almost everything. He knew just about everything that happened to me in the almost six years I was gone. He swore he would never tell anyone until I was ready. He was the only I could trust right now.

"Fine. Rosie, how long have you and Em been together?" I asked.

"Almost six years," whispered Rosalie.

"Oh," I said softly.

"Yeah," whispered Emmett.

We fell into an awkward silence. I wasn't sure what to say to them. They had all changed so much yet at the same time, they were the same. It was an odd and uncomfortable feeling. It made me feel nervous and I didn't like that. Not at all.

"I am going to go get a drink of water," I whispered as I stood up. "I'll be right back."

I walked out of my room and closed the door behind me. I could feel the panic begin to rise inside of me. They had moved on without me. I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to stop myself from freaking out. They would certainly send me away if I did that. I started to feel a little better so I quietly made my way down the stairs, being careful not to make too much noise. I didn't want to get into trouble. I had just stepped off the last step when I heard our parents talking in the living room.

"…we just don't know what to do," sighed Charlie. "She won't talk about the last six years at all. She refuses to talk to anyone but Emmett, in fact. We're lucky if she says more than two words to us. I just want my Bella back."

"It will take time, Charlie. She was only found two months ago. Bella has been through a lot. It's amazing that she is doing as good as she is considering the abuse she went through," said Carlisle. Guilt washed over me as I heard the pain etched in my father's words.

"We know that, Carlisle. She just looks so empty. She doesn't sleep, she barely eats," cried Renee. "The only person, until today, that she would even let near her was Emmett. I miss my baby."

"Renee, honey, she will be back one day. Just give her some time and some space," said Esme.

"Maybe we shouldn't let her go back to school," fretted Renee. Terror soared through my body and I knew I had to say something.

"You have to let me go to school," I begged as I stepped into the living room. Renee made to step towards me but I flinched as I stepped backwards.

"Bella, we don't want you to be uncomfortable. What if you get scared?" she asked.

"Please don't lock me up. Please let me go. I can't handle being locked away again," I whispered as I let my tears fall. "Please…"

"Bella-" said Charlie as he grabbed my hand. Suddenly, I was thrown back into the dark room as I fell to the floor.

_When I woke up, I was laying in the middle of a pitch black room. I screamed out for someone to help me but nobody came. I could feel my skin crawling. Suddenly, the door to the room I was in was thrown open. He flipped on the light and I cringed from how bright it was. _

"_STAND UP, WHORE," he shouted at me. I just laid there on the floor crying. He came over and grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to my feet. _

"_TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES,WHORE," he shouted at me. I slowly began to remove them. He threw his fist and punched me in the face. I fell back to the ground as I screamed out from the pain. I could taste the blood in my mouth._

"_AAAAAAAHHHHH," I screamed. _

_He ripped my clothes off of me and threw me on the bed. He tied my hands and feet to the bed. The chains pinched my skin but I was afraid to cry out. He stood over me for several minutes, letting his eyes rake over my body. Bile rose in my throat as I shivered from pure fear. He stripped out of his clothes and started rubbing my body with one hand while he pleasured himself with the other. I cried silently, wishing that I was just dreaming. Once he was ready, he climbed on top of me, _

"_NOOOOO, DON'T HURT ME. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME. I WILL BE GOOD," I screamed as he forced himself into me. I thought I was going to die from the pain. It felt like I was being ripped into a million pieces. _

"_YOU KNOW YOU LIKE IT WHORE," he chuckled, loudly. Little droppings of spit landed on my face causing him to laugh harder._

"_PLEASE JUST DON'T HURT ME," I screamed as my tears poured down my face._

_He just laughed and told me he liked it when I cried. Once he was done, he climbed off of me. He turned and left me tied to the bed as he turned off the light, shut the door and left me inside the darkness. _

**Thank you for all the reviews. I truly appreciate them all. This is just the beginning of the flashbacks and terror that Bella will experience. **


	4. Chapter 4

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

I heard Charlie and Renee say something but I couldn't hear what they were saying through my sobs. The floor rumbled as everyone from upstairs came running down the stairs. Emmett pulled me off the floor into his arms. He cradled me to his chest and let me cry.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

"I just grabbed her hand," whispered Charlie.

"Goddamn it, Dad," swore Emmett. "You can't fucking touch her."

"Emmett, don't talk to your father like that," scolded Renee. I tightened my arms around my brother, holding onto as tightly as I could.

"I don't care, Mom. She is trying really hard. Just give her some more time," snapped Emmett.

He turned and carried me out of the house. I heard the others follow us out. Emmett carried me through the side gate and to the back yard. He sat us down in the hammock, moving so that I was laying on his chest. He was rubbing my back, trying to get me to calm down. I felt the others sit down around us. I just laid in my brother's arms and sobbed while they talked amongst themselves.

"Rosie, I still need to do some school shopping. Do you want to go with me?" asked Alice.

"Sure, Ali. I need to pick up a couple of things," said Rose. "We could go tomorrow."

"Sound good," murmured Alice. "The boys all have football practice tomorrow, anyway, so…"

"They aren't going to let me go to school," I barely whispered.

"What?" asked Emmett.

"Renee said they shouldn't let me go to school. They are going to lock me up again. I can't…"I trailed off as I closed my eyes and suppressed my shudder. I couldn't handle being locked away again. I just couldn't.

"B, you are going to go to school. I won't let them keep you locked up," said Emmett, holding me even closer.

"You promise?" I asked softly.

"I promise, B. I won't let anyone hurt you again," whispered Emmett. "Not ever again."

I felt his shoulders shake as we cried together. I'm not sure how long we laid in the hammock together. Eventually, the sky turned to black and I started getting scared so Emmett carried me back into the house. The others went home with their parents. Carlisle and Esme both told me call them if I needed anything but William and Catherine didn't say anything. Charlie and Renee tried to stop Emmett from taking me upstairs but he just ignored them and carried me into my room. He laid me on the bed and held me as I cried myself to sleep.

_I was sitting in the darkness again. I could feel the grime covering my body. The door to the room opened and I cowered into the corner. The man in the doorway threw the bottle dangling in his hand at the wall over me. It shattered and I felt the glass fall into my hair. He quickly walked across the room and grabbed my arm roughly. He threw me on to the bed. He threw a punch and it landed on the side of my head. I stifled my cry of pain. Crying only made it worse. He tied my hands and feet to bed again. He stood up and quickly stripped out of his clothes. I laid there like a rag doll while he forced himself inside me. I could feel the tears falling from my eyes as he painfully forced himself into me over and over. He looked down at me._

"_Such a good little whore. I love it when you cry, whore," he chuckled, evilly. _

"_Please stop," I whispered, softly. "You're hurting me."_

"_I will never stop. You will always be mine," he murmured as he finished and climbed off of me._

_He grabbed me by the hair and threw me back into my corner. I felt the pain as I landed in the glass again. He pulled his clothes back on and came over to me. He laughed and stomped down on my hand. I felt the bones crush under his heavy boot. _

"_AAAAAHHHHH" I screamed. He turned and walked away, leaving me in the dark again._

"B, wake up," whispered Emmett, frantically.

I snapped my eyes open. I jumped up and curled myself in the corner and began pulling at my hair.

"Never going to stop, never going to stop, never going to stop…" I muttered to myself.

"B, stop," said Emmett softly as he reached up and gently pulled my hands down. "Stop."

I looked around and noticed that I was back in my bedroom. I looked at Emmett. He had tears falling down his face. Fear and worry filled his eyes and I felt guilty for making my brother cry. I gently pulled my hand from his and wiped his tears off.

"I'm ok now," I whispered. "Sorry."

"It's ok, B," said Emmett, setting down on the floor next to me. I had my knees pulled up as close to my chest as I could.

"What time is it?" I asked softly.

"Just after six in the morning," said Emmett, grabbing my scarred hand. I wanted to pull it away, ashamed that he was having to touch them but I knew he would tell me I was being silly. "I have football practice in about an hour. Do you want to come with me or stay here?"

"I'll go with you. I can't be here," I muttered, quickly.

"Ok, let's go get some breakfast," said Emmett, standing up.

He offered me his hand and I placed mine in his and let him pull me to my feet. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt from my suitcase and went into my closet and changed. Emmett and I made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Charlie and Renee were in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee. They both looked up at me and smiled. I gave them a small smile, trying to make it seem real enough.

"Morning," I mumbled as I sat down in my old chair, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"Morning, sweetheart," said Renee. "You're up early."

"I…I couldn't sleep," I mumbled, looking anywhere other than at them.

"Mom, Dad, Bella is coming to football practice with me," said Emmett. He set a couple pieces of toast in front of me. I smiled softly at him when I saw that he put peanut butter on it for me. "Like I would forget how you like your toast."

"Bella, are you sure you want to go to Emmett's practice with him? You can stay here with us," said Renee hopefully.

"NO….I…I want to go with Em," I whispered. I saw the hurt on my parents' face. "Please just give me some time."

"We are trying, Bella," whispered Charlie, blinking back his tears. "We just missed you so much."

"I…I missed you too," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye. "It's just so hard."

"Ok, Baby," said Renee. She looked over at my brother. "Emmett, make sure she has your cell phone on her in case she needs us."

"Yes, ma'am," said Emmett. "Let's go, B."

"Ok," I said as I stood up. I followed Emmett to the back door. I stopped and looked back at my parents. They were sitting there holding onto each other. I bit my lip as I said, "I love you both."

"We love you too," sobbed Renee.

"Forever," choked out Charlie.

They started sobbing into each other as I turned and followed Emmett out to the garage. He led me to a huge red jeep. I just smiled as I climbed into the passenger seat. He grinned as we pulled out of the garage. I looked out the window and watched the green trees pass by. I missed the green. The moss that grew on everything, the leaves that rattled through the trees. I even missed the rain. Emmett pulled into the parking lot by the football field. We climbed out and he grabbed a couple blankets and led me to the coach.

"Coach Clapp," said Emmett. Coach Clapp, a dark haired man, turned and looked at Emmett and me. I scooted a little closer to Emmett. He just wrapped his arm around my shoulder gently. "This is my sister, Bella. She is going to be here during practice. She will be in the bleachers."

"Are you ok, Bella?" he asked, looking at me softly. My entire body was shaking slightly.

"She just needs to be close to me, sir," whispered Emmett.

"Ok, Emmett," said Coach Clapp, nodding his head. "Get her settled then get suited up."

"Thanks, Coach," said Emmett. "Come on, B. I will show you were to sit."

I followed Emmett to the bleachers. He laid one of the blankest on the bleachers for me to sit on and wrapped the other one around my shoulders. He kissed my forehead and ran back to the dressing room. I sat down and brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped the blanket back around me. A few minutes later, I saw Emmett, Jasper and Edward all come running out of the dressing room. They looked over at me and gave me a big smile and a wave. I waved back, almost feeling normal. Almost but not quite.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate all of you taking the time to read this and those who have gone the extra step and left me reviews.**


	5. Chapter 5

For the next few hours, I watched them practice. They were all really good. Emmett was a lineman. It was his job to make sure that nobody got to Edward, who played quarterback. Jasper was a receiver. The three of them played very well together. It's almost like they could read each others minds. Just after twelve noon, Coach Clapp ended practice for the day. I was still sitting and waiting in the bleachers when I heard two people come up behind me. Fear welled up inside of me as I jumped to my feet and turned to find Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory standing behind me. Jessica was short but had tons of curly brown hair to make up for her lack of height. Lauren had bleached her hair blond and had way too much make-up caked on her face.

"Bella Swan?" asked Jessica, cocking an eyebrow at me. "It is really you?"

I merely nodded my head. I couldn't seem to find my voice. I had never gotten along with either of these girls. There was something about them that made me uncomfortable. My body was shaking and I wanted them to leave. I just couldn't seem to tell them that myself.

"Wow, you look like shit," snickered Lauren, letting her eyes rake over my body.

"Seriously, haven't you ever heard of make-up," chuckled Jessica.

"I can't believe you came out looking like that," said Lauren, full out laughing at me. I could feel the tears pouring down my face but I still couldn't say anything.

"You two bitches need to leave Bella alone," said a girl behind me. I turned to find Angela Weber, a pretty girl with dark hair and eyes, looking at me. She gave me a small smile before she looked back at Jessica and Lauren. "I am sure you can go find some boy to blow. Now leave."

"Angela, mind your own business, bitch," sneered Lauren. I could feel the panic rise in my chest as Laruen stepped closer to me. I sat back down and brought my knees back to my chest and started sobbing. "She is such a fucking freak."

"Lauren, get the fuck away from Bella," snapped Angela. I looked up and saw Lauren standing just a few inches from me.

"Too close, too close…" I mumbled as I started rocking back and forth.

"What the fuck is going on here?" bellowed Emmett as he came running over to me. He pulled me up into his arms and I felt my body relax. "B, are you ok? Did they hurt you?"

"Too close," I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

"Angela, what is going on?" asked Emmett.

"I came to pick up Ben when I noticed Lauren and Jessica standing by Bella. She didn't look like she wanted them close to her. So I came over to help her when I heard Lauren and Jessica saying some really bitchy things. I told them to leave her alone. They told me to mind my own business and called her a freak. Lauren stepped up to Bella and she started sobbing," explained Angela. I noticed that Edward, Jasper, and Ben Cheney had all come over to us. I ducked my head into Emmett's chest, trying to hide.

"If I find either of you close to Bella again, I swear to god I will let Rose, Alice and Angela beat the fucking shit out of you. Understand?" growled Emmett. "Good, now get the fuck out of here."

I lifted my head to see Lauren and Jessica running off. I looked up at Emmett. He looked beyond pissed off. I reached up and gently stroked his check, trying to get him calm down. He relaxed immediately. I looked over at Angela.

"Th…Thanks, Angela," I whispered softly.

"No problem, Bella. I hate those bitches," chuckled Angela. "If they bother you again you come tell me. I will beat the shit out of them."

"Ok," I muttered. I looked over at Ben. He wasn't much taller than Angela. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes that were hidden behind a pair of black rimmed glasses. "Hi… Ben."

"Hey, Bella. You look great," said Ben as he wrapped his arm around Angela.

"Thanks, you do too," I whispered. "You and Angela?"

"Yep for about a year now," chuckled Ben.

"Oh," I said as I smiled at them. I noticed that Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley were talking to Lauren and Jessica. They kept looking over here at me, making me feel very uncomfortable. "Em, can we go now?" I asked, ducking my head into my brother's chest.

"Sure, B. I thought we might go get a pizza with the others. Is that ok?"

"I guess," I said as I stood up.

"We will see you later," said Angela.

"Bye guys," said Edward as Ben and Angela left.

"E, J, we will meet you at the pizza place on sixth street. Rosie and Ali are meeting us there," said Emmett.

"Ok, Em," whispered Edward, looking over at me.

Emmett took the blankets from my arms and led me back to his jeep. I climbed in on my side while he got in on his. Emmett started the jeep but just sat there for a minute. He turned to look at me. I could tell he wanted to say something but he was fighting with himself over what to say., or maybe it was how to say it.

"Just say it, Em," I said.

"B, why did you let them talk to you like that?" asked Emmett.

"I don't know. I couldn't seem to say anything. I froze," I muttered. "Besides, what they said is true. I am a freak. My body is disgusting. I am even paler then I used to be. I don't know how to act in front of people anymore. I'm a social freak, as well as physical one."

"B, you are not a freak. I bet Alice and Rose would help you with some make-up and some clothes, if you let them," said Emmett as he started driving.

"I can't let them see my body," I whispered. "They can't see what he did to me."

"They don't have to. How about we all go shopping this afternoon? They will help you if you let them."

"Will Charlie and Renee mind?" I asked softly.

"Hand me my phone. I call them and ask," said Emmett. I handed him his cell phone and he called home. "Mom, I want to take Bella shopping for some new clothes and some girly stuff. Is that ok?…Rose and Alice will help…Mom, she can't have you there…I know you do but she can't handle it…I'll try but I can't promise you anything…Ok, Mom. Love you, too."

"Well?" I asked softly as he hung up the phone.

"She wasn't too happy about being left out but I told her you needed some time still. She asked if I will talk you into telling them what happened but I am not going to. You will tell everyone when you are ready. She finally agreed to let us go as long as I buy you your own cell phone," explained Emmett.

"I'm hurting them," I whispered, blinking back my tears.

"B, you just need time. You don't want them to hurt worse by them knowing everything. I get that. Just give yourself some time to heal," said Emmett as he parked in front of the pizza joint. I saw Edward, Jasper, Alice and Rose waiting for us inside.

"How are they really doing?" I asked as I watched them. They were just sitting there not talking.

"They are better now that you are back. None of us really got past it when you were taken. Edward blamed himself," sighed Emmett.

"Why?" I asked surprised.

"He always thought that if he hadn't ruined your book, that you wouldn't have gotten mad and walked to the library by yourself. He thinks he wouldn't have taken you if he hadn't spilled juice on your book," explained Emmett.

"Yes, he would have. He had been watching me for several weeks," I muttered, darkly.

"I know that but Edward doesn't," said Emmett.

"Em?" I asked softly.

"What?"

"Thanks for not pushing me," I whispered softly. "I know they would help me but I feel so ashamed. I just can't deal with it right now."

"B, they know that. Charlie and Renee just want to help you. It nearly destroyed them when you were taken. They just the old Bella back," said Emmett, frowning.

"She can't come back. She died six years ago when he first touched her," I mumbled, softly.

"No, she didn't. She is just buried under the pain," said Emmett.

"I love you, Em," I said as I wiped my tears off my face.

"I love you too, B," chuckled Emmett. "Now lets go eat. I'm fucking starving."

"Nothing ever changes," I said as I hopped out of the jeep.

Emmett wrapped his arm around my shoulder as he and I made our way into the crowded pizza joint. Emmett just tighten his grip on my shoulder as he led me over to the table where the others were waiting for us. I sat in between Edward and Emmett. I felt like I could hide from prying eyes here.

"Did you guys order yet?" asked Emmett.

"Yeah, we got a large pepperoni and a large mushroom," said Edward as he turned to look at me. "And a small pizza with the works for you, B."

"You remembered what kind of pizza I liked," I whispered, pulling my knees up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around them and rested my chin on my knees.

"Of course I did. I didn't know if it had changed but we took a chance," chuckled Edward.

"Oh," I said softly. Emmett nudged my shoulder. I looked up at him. He nodded his head over to Alice and Rosalie. Oh yeah, the shopping. I took a deep breath and looked over at them. "Rosie, Ali, I…I have a favor to ask you."

"What is it?" asked Rose as they both looked at me.

"Well, I'm not sure what kind of things I need. I was hoping you could help me with some clothes and make-up and stuff," I muttered, looking down at my feet.

"B, do you want us to take you shopping?" asked Rose, quietly.

"Yes," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye. "I don't what everyone is wearing now…and…"

"Ok, B. We'll help you," said Alice.

"Thanks, girls," I murmured as they brought the pizza over. I grabbed a piece of the works and took a big bite. It tasted so good I let out a moan. "Fuck, that's good."

"B, do we need to give you a minute alone with the pizza?" chuckled Rose. I paled as the blood drained from my face.

"Rosie," hissed Emmett.

"I haven't had pizza since he took me," I muttered, softly putting the pizza on my plate. "I missed it."

"What did you eat?" asked Jasper.

"Most days, I might get a slice of bread and some cheese or a few crackers if he wasn't mad at me. If he was mad, he wouldn't give me anything," I whispered, looking down at my hands.

"Oh," whispered Jasper.

"Sometimes he would give me a granola bar if…" I trailed off and looked away.

"If what?" whispered Alice.

"If I cried enough for him when he..." I whispered. "He liked it when I cried."

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	6. Chapter 6

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

Even though I wasn't looking at them, I could feel their eyes on me, boring into me. I started to shake so I stood up and ran outside to the jeep. I sat on the back bumper and let my tears fall freely. I felt a tingle when Edward came out and wrapped his arms around me, holding me snuggly against his chest. I laid my head on his chest and started to sob.

"It's ok, B. You are going to be ok," whispered Edward.

"It's not fair, E. I want my life back," I cried.

"I know it's not, B. I'm sorry," he choked out. I looked up and noticed he had tears running down his face. "If I hadn't been so clumsy…"

"E, it was not your fault. He had been watching me for weeks. Eventually he would have gotten to me," I murmured as I reached up and wiped his tears off his face.

"B, I am always here for you. When ever you need a friend, I am right here," said Edward, leaning into my hand.

"Thanks, E," I whispered as the others came out. I pulled away from Edward slightly. "Hey guys."

"B, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," said Rose, sadly.

"You didn't, Rosie. It's just really hard for me to talk about right now," I said softly.

"Ok, well let's go shopping," chuckled Emmett, trying to break the tension around us.

"Em, you are such a girl sometimes," I muttered.

"Is that right?" asked Emmett, raising an eyebrow at me. I smiled softly as I nodded my head at my big brother. "Well, at least I am pretty."

"Whatever, Em," chuckled Edward rolling his eyes.

We loaded up in our cars and headed to the mall. I was pretty nervous about everyone looking at me. Ever since the police found me locked in that room, the press has been flashing my picture and as much of my story as they knew all over the television. Lost and nearly forgotten Isabella Swan had been found. They ran as much of my story as they knew. All they really knew was that I had been kidnapped a week before my twelfth birthday. I had last been seen walking down the street to the library. That was the last time my friends or family saw me until two months ago.

The police found me locked inside my dark prison, naked, bruised, scarred, and terrified. The police tried to talk to me but I refused to speak to them. I was afraid he would hear me and punish me. One of the officers reached out and grabbed my hand and I lost it. I started screaming and thrashing around. They held me down and I passed out. My captor had apparently had been killed in a shoot out with the police. That was all the press knew.

I woke up two days later in the hospital. I was strapped down to the bed. Charlie, Renee and Emmett were all sitting next to the bed, gawking at me. I started thrashing against my restraints. I didn't like being held down. Emmett un-strapped me and pulled me into his arms. I was sobbing uncontrollably. Charlie and Renee both tried to hug me but I started screaming when they tried. The nurses and doctors came running into the room and tried to pull me from Emmett's arms but I refused to let go. He climbed into the bed with me and held me while I cried. Emmett finally managed to talk Charlie and Renee into giving us some time alone. When they left, he promised that he wouldn't leave me alone again. True to his word, he never left me.

I spent the next two months in the hospital. I was so malnourished that I barely weighed eighty pounds. They had me hooked up to an IV, pumping in calories so I would gain weight. I tried to eat but after years of maybe getting a slice of bread a day, I had trouble eating enough to get healthy. The police and doctors pressed me nearly everyday for a month to tell them what had happened to me in the almost six years I lived in the dark but I haven't been able to tell anyone but Emmett, not even Charlie and Renee. They knew that I had been beaten and neglected but they don't know much else. I think they knew that I had been raped at least once but they don't know the extend of what I had been through. It was hard for me to know that the doctors had seen me naked. My body was a road map of the abuse I endured during my years in hell.

Emmett told me how they found me in a small abandoned house on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. They found me locked in a cellar. It was sound proof, which explains why no one ever heard my screams. He said that Charlie and Renee realized about an hour after I left for the library that something was wrong when I didn't come home. They sent out search parties to search the woods and town but I was long gone. He said that they had a witness who saw him grab me and pull me into his car. Apparently once, he crossed state lines, the police couldn't find any traces of me. The FBI was called in and sent out alerts all over the country but by the time they were out I was probably already locked away in the darkness and forgotten.

Emmett told me that they refused to give up the search. They worked with the Center for Missing and Exploited Kids to keep my story fresh. They put my picture out in the news, anything to find me, but since he never let me out of my dark prison there wasn't any way anyone could have seen me. He said that Charlie couldn't handle working as a policeman when he felt like he failed me. Renee couldn't handle seeing all the kids at the school so they both quit and opened a coffee shop.

Emmett also told me how hard it was to go back to school after I was gone, for all of them. We had barely started our sixth grade year when I was taken. They stuck together as best they could but it was hard. They got into a lot of fights and their grades dropped so bad that they ended up in summer school. He said it wasn't until they were able to focus their anger into something that they were able to do anything productive. He said that is why he, Jasper and Edward started playing football. They got to hit people. He said Rose and Alice chose to focus their anger in music. They, along with Angela, have a small band.

When it was time for me to come home, the doctors in Phoenix tried to argue that I wasn't mentally stable enough to come home. I'm probably not but I didn't want to stay there. I needed to come home. They took my parents to court to try to force them to put me in a mental hospital but the judge refused them. He had me and Emmett come in and talk to him privately. He said he knew I needed Emmett with me to feel safe. He asked me a bunch of questions about what I wanted from my life. I was honest when I told I had no clue what I really wanted but that I knew I needed to go home. He expressed concern about me being able to handle going to school after not being in school for six years. The judge ordered that I could go home to Forks if I took a test establishing that I knew enough to join Emmett for our senior year. So I took the test. Not only did I score high enough to be a senior, I could technically graduate now and go to college. But I chose to finish high school with Emmett and the others. So we finally got to come home. School start in two days and I was terrified. At least it will be a short week since school starts on a Wednesday.

"B, you ready?" asked Emmett. I looked around and noticed that we were already at the mall.

"Sorry, Em. I must have zoned out," I mumbled as I climbed out.

"It's ok," chuckled Emmett. "I know I'm boring."

"You're not boring," I whispered.

"Hey, I was just kidding. I know you have a lot on your mind," said Emmett as he pulled me into a hug.

"Ok, B. Is there anything you are looking for?" asked Alice.

"Um, no, just no short sleeves or low cut tops and no skirts or dresses," I said softly.

"Ok, so jeans and long sleeve tops," said Rose, nodding her head. "Anything else?"

"I was hoping maybe I could find some fingerless gloves so I could hid the scars on my hand," I said as I showed them the scars.

"How did you get those?" asked Jasper, frowning.

"J," hiss Edward.

"It's ok, E," I said softly. "One night after he…He stomped on my hand after he threw a beer bottle at me. He broke all the bones in my hand and cut my hand up."

"Oh, man," whispered Jasper. "I'm sorry for asking, B."

"It's fine," I said as I pulled my sleeve down over my hand. "It's not as easy to hide as the others are."

"Ok, well. Let's go shopping," said Rose, changing the subject.

We spent the next few hours buying me way too many clothes. Alice and Rose insisted that I needed at least ten new pairs of jeans. We had trouble finding some that actually fit. Most stores don't carry size ones but we found them. We also managed to find me a bunch of long sleeve t-shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, and I managed to talk them into letting me buy a hooded sweatshirt. I got a new coat, some new pajamas, new panties, several bras, some new boots, flats, and converses. They helped me figure out what kind of make-up to get, which was hard since I was so deathly pale.

After we finished shopping for clothes, Emmett took me to buy a new cell phone. He insisted that I get a blackberry. He said it was perfect for sending text messages. They all plugged their cell phone numbers and all our parents' numbers for me. Edward dragged me down to the music store and introduced me to several of his favorite bands. I liked most of them. He insisted on buying their CD's for me. Emmett insisted that I needed an iPod also. After we were done, we loaded back in the cars and headed back home. Charlie and Renee were sitting in the living room when Emmett and I came tumbling in with all of my purchases. They both looked at each other and grinned, clearly happy to have us back home.

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	7. Chapter 7

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

"How was the shopping, Bella?" asked Charlie, smiling as he and my mother looked up at me and Emmett.

"Exhausting. Ali and Rosie were very…excited," I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Did you get everything you were looking for?" asked Renee.

"Yes, I did," I muttered, looking at the lacy glove on my left hand. I looked up at Renee and took a deep breath. I had been hurting them so much. "Renee, do you, um, maybe what to, um come up to my room and see what I got?"

"I would like that a lot," said Renee as she smile. I looked up at Emmett. He just gave me a small smile.

"Ok," I said as I picked up the bags.

I went over and took a deep breath as I grabbed Renee's hand and pulled her behind me. Renee followed me into my room with the bags that Emmett had been carrying.

"Um, Renee, I was thinking that I would like to redo my room."

"Sure, what were you thinking about doing?" she asked as she sat on my bed.

"I was thinking about painting the walls a dark purple. Maybe getting some posters for my walls," I explained. "It's really bright in here."

"That would look nice. We can get you some new bedding also," said Renee.

"Would…would you help me pick it out?" I whispered.

"Of course I will. Now show me what you got," said Renee, smiling. I sat down next to her and smiled at her.

We spent the next hours going through my many clothes. She liked them all, especially the gloves for my hand. Slowly the tension between us eased up. I know it was hard on her that I couldn't let her touch me very much but I was really going to try to work on rebuilding my relationship with her and Charlie. I had to get to know them again if I was ever going to be able to trust them with the truth. She was careful not to push me for more than I felt comfortable with telling her. Renee helped me put my clothes up and we made plans to go buy the paint for my room tomorrow after Emmett's football practice. After we went through all of the clothes, we went back downstairs. I sat in the living room with Charlie and Emmett. I looked over and saw that they were watching some baseball game. Panic welled up inside of me.

"Em?" I whispered frantically. He snapped his head up at me. I pointed the television. I could feel my entire body start to shake

"Dad, change the channel," demanded Emmett.

"Why?" asked Charlie, looking between us.

"Just do it," said Emmett as he came over and knelt down in front of me. "It's ok."

"Can't see it. Can't see it," I whispered as I closed my eyes and brought my knees up to my chest. "No, no, no…"

I started rocking back and forth mumbling to myself. Charlie must of seen the fear on my face because he quickly changed the channel. Emmett stayed in front of me for a few minutes but then moved back to the couch. I took a few deep breaths and pushed the panic back. I laid back in the chair and tried to relax. I must have dosed off because suddenly I was back in the dark room.

"_GET UP YOU FILTHY WHORE!" he screamed at me as he threw the door to my prison open._

_I snapped my eyes open and tried to scramble to my feet but I wasn't fast enough. He reached out and pulled me up by my hair and pulled me over to the table. I felt my body start to shake uncontrollably._

"_NOOOOOO, NOT THE TABLE. PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS," I screamed as I struggled to get away from him._

"_YOU STUPID WHORE," he screamed as he threw me on the table, roughly. "YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO FIGHT ME!"_

"_Please, I will do anything else. Just don't put me on the table again," I begged._

"_YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!" He shouted. _

_He pulled the chains out and attached the cuffs to my wrists and ankles. The door to the room opened again. I closed my eyes not wanting see what they were going to do. I felt them come around me. I felt their hands groping my naked body. They pinched and hit me. One by one they forced themselves into me, tearing me causing me to bleed. They bit me and pulled out knives and cut me._

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!"I screamed. "STOP! IT HURTS!"_

"B, wake up," whispered Emmett. "You are safe now."

I snapped my eyes open and fell to the floor. I folded my body into a ball and started to sob uncontrollably. I started tearing at my arms. I could still feel them on me. All of them. I needed to get them off of me. I heard the front door open and slam shut.

"GET THEM OFF OF ME!" I screamed.

"Stay away from her," said Emmett as he picked me up off the floor.

"Emmett, let me give her something to calm her down," said Carlisle. I heard him come closer to me.

"NOOOOOOO!" I screamed as I jumped out of Emmett's arms and ran past them all. I ran outside and started running down the street. I didn't think about the fact that I was barefoot. I just had to keep running. I felt Emmett pull me to the ground as I continued to sob.

"I CAN STILL FEEL THEM!" I screamed as I clawed at my arms again. "GET THEM OFF OF ME!"

"They aren't here, B. They aren't going to hurt you anymore," whispered Emmett as he stood up. He carried me back into the house. "Move Carlisle. I can help her."

"Emmett, let me help," whispered Carlisle. "I can give her something to help with the panic attack."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed as I struggled to break free.

Emmett pushed past him and ran us upstairs to our bathroom. He turned on the water and climbed into the shower with me in his arms. As soon as the water hit me, I started scrubbing my body. I needed to get them off of me. Emmett grabbed my hands to stop me from hurting myself. I felt my entire body relax slowly as he rocked me back and forth.

"Why won't he leave me alone?" I whispered. "Every time I close my eyes, he is there hurting me all over again."

"I don't know, B," whispered Emmett. "Maybe you should go talk to someone."

"I can't," I cried.

"Maybe you should tell Charlie or Renee. Maybe talk to Edward, Alice, Jasper or Rosalie," suggested Emmett.

"What if they blame me? I stopped fighting. I let him hurt me," I muttered, darkly.

"You did what you had to do to survive, B. They won't be mad at you for surviving," said Emmett as he turned off the water.

"I don't know if I can tell them," I whispered softly.

"Then we will wait until you are ready," said Emmett. "Come on, let's go change. We need to go back downstairs."

"Ok, Em," I whispered.

"It's going to be ok, Bella."

I stood up and grabbed a towel and dried off a little. I went into my closet and stripped out of my clothes in the dark. I didn't like to look at my body. I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt that I bought today. I pulled on a glove on to my left hand and walked backed out into my room. I walked out into the hall and Emmett was waiting for me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and we went downstairs. Charlie was sitting on the couch holding Renee, who was sobbing. Carlisle and Esme were sitting on either side of them. They all looked up at me. I shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, softly as the tears began to fall. "I don't mean to cause trouble."

"Bella, you did nothing wrong," said Charlie.

"Bella, can you tell me what happened?" asked Carlisle.

"I…I had a nightmare," I whispered. "He used to…"

"What, sweetheart?" asked Renee.

"He used to bring in other men," I whispered softly. I heard them all gasp. "He…"

"It's ok, dear. You don't have to say anything else," said Esme.

"I'm sorry for being so much trouble," I whispered as I cried. "Every time I close my eyes, I see him there."

"Would you like me to give you some medicine to help you sleep?" asked Carlisle.

"NO, PLEASE NO!" I cried, frantically as I took a few steps back.

"He used to drug her so she couldn't fight him as much," explained Emmett as he pulled me into his arms.

"Oh, I see," sighed Carlisle. "Well, I will see if I can find some other way to help you. Something that doesn't involved drugs."

"Thank you, Carlisle," I whispered. "Can I go to my room?"

"Of course you can," said Charlie. I turned to walk up the stairs. I stopped and looked back at them all. They all looked so defeated.

"I really missed you all so much," I whispered through my tears. "I love you all."

Then I turned and ran back up the stairs. I shut my door behind me and laid down on my bed and cried into my pillow. I know they only wanted to help but I didn't know how to let them without hurting them all over again. They had been through enough because of me. How could I tell them what he did to me? I didn't want to see the shame in their eyes. Eventually I fell into a restless sleep. His face flashed through my nightmares all night.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Em's POV is coming up.**


	8. Chapter 8

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

EMPOV

I watched my sister run as fast as her little, skinny legs could carry her up the stairs and into her room. She shut the door and I heard her start to sob. I walked over and sat down in the chair across of Charlie, Renee, Carlisle and Esme. I knew they were at a loss of how to help Bella. I was, too, but I knew that she needed me right now.

"How bad is it, Emmett?" asked Carlisle. I shook my head as I looked my father in the eye.

"She lived through hell," I said softly. "She has been through more than anyone should have to. She feels guilty for not letting you help. You all have to give her more time. I am trying to get her to open up more but she has been alone for a long time."

"What can we do to help?" asked Esme.

"Just act like everything is normal. I'm not saying that when she had episodes like tonight that we ignore it but once I get her calmed down, you have to act like everything is fine. She is barely hanging on."

"Emmett, you can't do it all by yourself," said Renee.

"I know, Mom. She is slowly opening up to Edward, Jasper, Alice and Rose," I said softly.

"Why won't she tell us what happened?" asked Charlie.

"She doesn't want you to hurt anymore than you already are," I said, looking around at all of them. "Look, I am sure you already have an idea of what that bastard did to her. She will tell you. She just needs more time."

"Ok, Emmett. We will give her time," sighed Charlie, running his hands through his hair. "What was the deal with the baseball game?"

"Do you remember about two months before Bella was taken, you took us to that baseball game in Seattle?" I asked as I stood up

"Yeah, it was one of those minor league games," said Charlie.

"That is where he first saw her. He was one of the players. He followed us home that night and watched her for weeks before he took her. She can't watch baseball anymore because he showed her the tape he made of her that night," I explained. They all sat there with looks of horror on their faces. "I'll be in my room."

I ran upstairs to my room, pausing at Bella's door. I heard her still sobbing. It took everything I could not to go in there and sweep my sister up but I knew I had to let her cry it out tonight. I went back to my room and laid down on my bed. I picked up the picture on my nightstand. It was of me and Bella before she was taken. We were in the backyard on the hammock. She was laying with her head on my chest while I tickled her. She was so carefree.

I really wanted to kill the fucker who put his hands on my sister like that. Bella and I have always been close. I was two minutes older than she was and never let her forget it. She was always the one who took care of us all. She made sure my lunch was made just the way I liked it. Renee used to tease her that she acted more like our mom then she did. It was true but that was just Bella. I was the prankster, the trouble maker and Bella was the peace maker.

When she disappeared, it felt like someone ripped my heart out. I was so lost with out her. I knew it was hard on Renee and Charlie but Bella was my twin, my other half. Rose was the one who pulled me out of my abyss. The night, Bella went missing they sent all of us over to Carlisle and Esme's. Rose held me all night while I cried for my sister. Jasper, Edward and I were pissed that they wouldn't let us help find her. We thought she just wondered off into the woods. Then Billy Black called and said he thought he saw Bella being pulled into a black car. Of course, they never found her. They sent the FBI to try to find the car but a black midsized car is not unusual. As each day passed, I withdrew more and more from everyone. I knew she was still alive. I could feel her.

Rose finally came over one day, about a month after Bella was taken, and barged into my room. She told me I was being a fucking idiot for giving up on up on life. She said that if I didn't start living then when they did find Bella, she was going to pissed that I gave up. I broke down and started sobbing like a baby. Rose wrapped her arms around me and held me all night. That was the night I realized I was in love with her. I told her I needed her to be my girl forever. She said she already was. She kissed me and promised that one day we would find Bella.

For the next five years and nine months, I tried to live for both me and Bella. Rose and I were together nearly all the time. Alice and Jasper finally realized that they were in love with each other while Edward pined away for Bella. I knew he was in love with her, even if he won't admit it to anyone. He took her disappearance almost as hard as I did. I thought it was just because of their stupid flight but I think it has more to do with how much he loves her. I used to catch him staring at her photo with such intensity. I think he was the only person I could ever trust with my sister. I knew that if he ever wins her heart, that he was going to take care of her.

School was nearly impossible for the first several months. Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley, Eric Yorke, Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley seemed to think it was fun to bad talk my sister. They said that she mush have done something to egg on the bastard that took here. The five us beat the shit out of them several times before they finally got a clue and started talking quieter. After a few months, the police and the FBI gave up on ever finding Bella alive. They told us that she had probably been killed right after she was taken but I knew she wasn't. We never gave up. Charlie, Renee, Carlisle, Esme, Will and Cat spent thousands of hours trying to get fliers out with Bella's picture on them. We contracted the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. They helped us get Bella's picture out all over the country. Then finally we got the call.

_It was the day before school got out last June. I was sitting in the middle of my Spanish one class taking my final when Mr. Stevens, our principal, came running into our classroom. He came over and grabbed my arm and started pulling on me to get up._

"_Emmett, they found her. Your parents are waiting for you in the office."_

"_They found Bella," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye. We had waited so long for this day._

"_Yes, she's alive," he exclaimed._

_I jumped up on my feet and ran to the office where Charlie and Renee were waiting for me. As soon as they saw me they pulled me out of the school and into Carlisle's car. _

"_What is going on?" I demanded._

"_The Phoenix police department found Bella this morning in the cellar of an old abandoned house. They said she refused to talk to them. When they tried to pulled her out of the room, she went nuts and started screaming and fighting them. She passed out and they took her to the hospital. We are catching the first flight to Phoenix," explained Renee, who was bouncing all over the seat._

"_How did the police find her?" I asked._

"_Apparently the man that took her was killed in a shoot out last night. They were searching his home for drugs when they found her locked away in a dark room. They said she was naked and covered in filth," said Charlie, shuddering._

"_Is she going to be ok?" _

"_We don't know. They said it looked like she hasn't been feed much lately," whispered Renee as Carlisle pulled up in front of the airport._

"_Carlisle, tell them I will call," I said as I jumped out of the car._

Five hours later we landed in Phoenix, Arizona. The detective in charge of Bella's case met us at the airport and basically told us what we already knew. He took us the hospital. I walked in Bella's room and felt the tears start pouring out of my eyes. The girl laying in the bed was a shell of a person. They had her strapped to the bed after she tried to hurt herself apparently. She was so pale that her skin was practically see through. Her lips were chapped. Her face and arms were covered in bruises. She had scars up both her arms. I knew she probably had scars on the rest of her body as well. She was so thin that her collar bones were sticking out. I kissed her check just as her doctor came in.

"_Mr. and Mrs. Swan, I'm James Sanders. I am Bella's doctor. Your daughter has been through quite a lot," he explained. "Do you have any idea how she got here?"_

"_She was kidnapped five years and nine months ago," replied Renee, letting her tears fall freely. "We haven't seen her since."_

"_I see. Well, who ever had her didn't take very good care of her. She is extremely malnourished. We weighed her and she barely weighs 80lbs. We are pumping her full of calories and vitamins to try to get her to gain some weight. She has had several bones that had been broken and didn't heal the way they should but instead of trying to fix them, I think we should leave it. She would need at least ten surgeries to fix the damage. I don't think she would survive the surgeries. She has scaring over the majority of her body. I wish I had better news for you but it looks like who ever had her somehow performed a hysterectomy on her. She has been raped, multiple times from what we can tell. We are going to need to keep her here until we get her immune system built up enough for her to be strong enough to leave. The smallest infection could kill her. It is going to take awhile for her body to heal from the trauma she went through. Honestly, I don't know how she survived five years of this." _

"_My poor, baby," cried Renee, turning into my father's arms. He held her close as they cried together._

"_I will give you a few minutes with her," said James._

"_Thank you," muttered Charlie._

We gathered around Bella and cried together. She was so fragile. We spent all day and night at the hospital with Bella. I would just sit there and hold her hand and tell her it was going to be ok. We spent the next day doing the same. I was desperate for my sister to open her eyes. I needed to see that she was real. Finally, on the third day, she slowly opened her eyes. She tried to moved her hands. When she realized that she was strapped down to the bed. She started screaming for me to let her up. I didn't think twice as I pulled the restraints off of her and pulled her into my arms. She was so light. I could feel her ribs through her hospital gown. She fisted my shirt in her tiny little hands. Charlie and Renee reached out to hug her but she flinched and started screaming, begging me to help her. James came in and tried to sedate her but that only made it worse. I finally yelled for them to get out and leave us alone. Charlie dragged Renee out. Once it was just me and Bella, she finally started to calm down and relax. I laid down in the bed with her and held her. I promised I wasn't going to leave her alone. I promised I was going to take care of her.

Slowly over the next couple months, Bella began to confide in me what he had done to her. She told me about the beatings, the rapes, the hours of torture. She told me how he go pleasure out of watching her cry when he hurt her. She told me every detail of what she had been through. I promised not to tell anyone until she was ready. She clung to me every time someone came into her room. I stayed in the hospital with her and held her when she tried to sleep. She woke up every night screaming from nightmares. Sometimes she was violent towards me and the nurses and doctors would threaten to restrain her. I would tell them to get the fuck away from my sister. She could hit me as much as she wanted to after the shit she went through. For the first month, James and the police hounded her to tell them what he did to her. Every time they asked she would freak out and scream and cry for hours. Charlie and Renee were hurt that she refused to tell them anything that she had been through. They just didn't understand that she was trying to protect them. She didn't want them to hurt anymore.

Finally after two months in the hospital we were ready to bring Bella home. She was ready to come home but James had to go be doctor asshole. He took Charlie and Renee to court. He thought Bella needed to be placed in a mental hospital to help her deal. Bella did need help but we argued that it wouldn't help her to be lock up in a different type of prison. The judge called Bella and I into his a office. He was concerned about how she would be able to handle school. I assured him that Bella would be protected from the kids at school. He then asked about how Bella would be able to handle the academic part of high school. She had missed nearly five years of school. He told her that if she could pass a test that would test her knowledge that he would let her go back. Well not only did my sister pass but she could skip our senior year and go straight to college. Of course, she isn't going to.

So we finally got to bring Bella home. I could tell as we loaded onto the plane that she was terrified. I just held her to me as tightly as I could and reassured her that everything was going to be ok. She was nervous about seeing our friends again but as soon as she saw that they were ok, she relaxed and let them hug her, something she still hasn't let Charlie and Renee do. Slowly over the last day and a half, she had started letting her walls down. I only hoped she can let them in. I got up and got Bella's new iPod ready for her. I went down and left it on the kitchen table for her. I went back upstairs and listened to my sister scream in her sleep all night.

**So, we got us a little peek into Emmett's mind. Let me know what you thought. Thank you again for all the reviews over this story. **


	9. Chapter 9

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

BPOV

I was shaken awake around five a.m. when I had another nightmare about him. I wanted him to leave me alone. He was dead. When would I be free? I slowly got out of bed and went into the bathroom. I took a hot shower, never looking at my naked body in the mirror. I dried off quickly and walked into my closest and pulled in a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. I put on my new boots and brushed my hair. I put on my make-up like Alice and Rose had showed me yesterday. I went downstairs and found Charlie sitting in the kitchen, sipping on some coffee and reading the paper. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile.

"Morning," I whispered as I sat down next to him.

"Morning, Bella," said Charlie. "Are you going to with Emmett to his football practice again?"

"Yeah, if…..if that's ok," I muttered.

"Of course it is, baby," said Charlie, turning back to his newspaper.

"Charlie?"

"What?" he asked as he looked over at me.

"Do you still go fishing?" I asked.

"No," said Charlie.

"Because of me?" I asked.

"No, baby, because I spent every chance I could looking for you," he insisted.

"Why didn't you all ever give up on me?" I whispered as I pulled my knees up to my chest.

"Bella, we knew you were still alive. We could feel it," said Charlie. "It was so hard. People kept telling us that you were dead. That we needed to move on but we just knew you were alive."

"I used to pray that he would kill me," I muttered, staring at my feet. "Everyday, I begged God to let it be over. When the police came into ….the room… I thought they were his men. That's why I couldn't speak to them. He tricked me one time like that."

"It must have been very hard for you to be alone but you aren't alone any longer, Bella," mumbled Charlie.

"I know," I whispered softly as Emmett came into the kitchen.

"Hey B. You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, Em. I'll be there in a minute," I said softly.

"Ok," said Emmett before he walked out to his jeep. I stood up and took a deep breath as I reach down and grabbed my father's hand.

"I really do love you, Charlie. You will always be my number one guy," I whispered as I squeezed his hand softly.

"I…love….you…too…..Bella," choked out Charlie. Renee came in and smiled when she saw me holding his hand.

"I'll see you after practice, Renee," I muttered as I dropped Charlie's hand before I walked to the garage door. "Charlie?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"If…if you ever want to go fishing again…I…I'd like to go with you," I whispered.

"I'd like that," He whispered through his tears.

I turned and ran out of the kitchen. I jumped into the jeep and gave Emmett a smile. He just started the car and drive to the school like I hadn't just touched my father for the first time in six years. Once we got there, he grabbed the blankets from the jeep and took me back to my spot in the bleachers. When we got there, I stopped in my tracks when I saw Rose, Alice and Angela sitting there.

"What…what are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"We came to watch the boys practice," said Angela, smiling.

"Nothing like boys in tight pants," chuckled Alice.

"Not to mention the sweating," teased Rose, fanning herself.

"You girls be nice," chuckled Emmett. He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "You'll be ok."

"I know," I mumbled.

"See you beautiful ladies later," said Emmett with a wink before he turned and ran down to the dressing rooms to change for practice.

"Is he always so corny?" I asked Rose as I sat down next to her.

"Yes, but he makes corny look good," she chuckled, watching him run into the dressing rooms.

"Rosie, how did you and Em get together?"

"After you were taken, he shut down into himself. He was lost without you. After about a month of his wallowing in self pity, I charged into his room and told him he was being a fucking idiot. I told him you would be pissed as hell if you knew he had stopped living. He broke down and let it all out. I held him all night as he sobbed. He missed you so much, B. When the sun finally came up, he told me he loved me and he wanted me to be his girl. I kissed him and told him I already was. We have been together ever since," explained Rose.

"I'm glad he had you, Rosie," I whispered softly.

"Thanks, B."

"Ali, how did you and J get together?" I asked.

"We had been flirting for the last few years but it was two years ago when we got together. It was on the same date as when you went missing. It was always a hard day for all of us. J and I were sitting on the bank of the river. He had his arm around me while we both cried. We missed you so much. It hurt everyday. After a few hours, he leaned down and kissed me. He said he was tired of living without me being his. I kissed him again told him he kept me waiting long enough. He chuckled and said he loved me," said Alice, looking over at me.

"Awe, that's so romantic," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye. "Who knew J could be so sweet?"

"Jasper is definitely a keeper, Alice," chuckled Angela.

"Angela, you and Ben?"

"He asked me to go to the prom with him. I said yes. It sounds pretty boring compared to those two," said Angela.

"Not to me. I could use some boring," I whispered.

"I know you can," said Angela as she turned to look at me. "Turn and fucking walk away, bitch."

"What?" I whispered. Did they not want me anymore?

"Not you, B," said Rose as she stood up and walked past me and stopped. I looked over and saw Lauren and Jessica smirking at me.

"Look, the freak has hired bodyguards," chuckled Lauren.

"Lauren, I swear, I will give you a reason to need another new nose," hissed Rose.

"Hale, shut the fuck up. I could beat your ass," snapped Lauren.

"Bring it, Bitch," snarled Rose.

"Rosie, stop. They aren't worth it," I whispered as I pulled on her arm.

"Listen to the freak, Hale," quipped Jessica.

"Leave her alone," snapped Alice, moving over next to Rose. "She has been though enough."

"Why should I? She is pathetic," snapped Lauren.

"Don't forget fucking ugly," smirked Jessica.

"LEAVE ME ALONE YOU FUCKING BITCHES!" I screamed. Everyone turned and looked over at me "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?"

"Maybe because you are fucking pathetic. You will do anything for attention," snapped Jessica.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed as I pulled my knees to my chest. I could feel a panic attack coming.

"I think you heard her," said Edward as he, Emmett, Jasper, and Ben came up behind them.

"Too close. Too close. Too close…" I mumbled as I rocked in my seat. "No, no, no, no, no…"

"But Eddie-" whined Lauren.

"Too much pain, too much pain…" I mumbled as my body shook.

"Lauren, for the millionth fucking time. My name is not Eddie. Now you and Jessica can fucking leave now," snapped Edward as he came over pulled me into his arms. I felt my body relax immediately.

"Whatever," they muttered before the pushed past the boys.

"B, you ok?" asked Edward.

"No," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "Thanks for the help."

"B, would you mind if Edward takes you to meet Renee? I wanted to take Rose to lunch," asked Emmett with a small smile.

"I guess. If he doesn't mind," I mumbled softly.

"I don't mind," smiled Edward. He put me down on my feet but kept his arm around my waist. I couldn't stop myself from leaning my head on his shoulder. "We'll see you guys later."

Edward led me out to a shiny silver Volvo. He opened the passenger door and helped me get in. I buckled my seatbelt. Edward ran around and hopped into the drivers side.

"Where to?" asked Edward.

"We were meeting Renee at Home Depot. We are getting paint for my room," I explained.

"Still going with dark purple," asked Edward as he headed out of the parking lot.

"Only because I don't think they won't let me do black," I muttered. Edward cocked an eyebrow at me. "I'm used to it being dark. Like really dark."

"Oh, I see," said Edward. "Black would be cool, but I like the purple better."

"Me too," I said, chuckling softly. "E, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can," he chuckled.

"Are Carlisle and Esme mad at me?" I whispered.

"No, why would they be?" asked Edward. He looked really confused.

"They didn't tell you about last night?" I asked.

"No."

"Oh, I figured they would. I freaked out last night. I got scared and lost control. Carlisle offered to give me something to help me sleep but…I can't do that. I don't want them to be mad at me. I love them all so much and the thought of losing them again…" I whispered as I looked down at my feet. "I just don't want them to be mad at me."

"B, they aren't mad. They are worried about you. We all are. They just don't know how to help you," sighed Edward.

"I don't know how to let them help me." I wrapped my arms around myself as I cried. "I can let you guys close to me but I can barely hold my parents' hand without having a panic attack. I'm so scared they are going to send me away."

"B, I won't let them send you away. Not when I just got you back," said Edward. I looked up and noticed that we were stopped.

"You promise?" I whispered.

"I promise," he said, smiling at me. My heart fluttered in my chest.

"E, will you come in with me? I can't be with her alone yet."

"Of course I will," said Edward.

We climbed out of the car. I reached out and grabbed Edward's hand as we walked into the store. Renee was waiting for us. She looked down at our hands and smiled. I tried to pull my hand away but Edward just held it tighter. I looked up at him. He just smiled and winked at me. I stepped a little closer to him.

"Hey Renee," I whispered.

"Hey, Bella, Edward. Where's Emmett?" asked Renee.

"He asked me to come so he could take Rose to lunch," explained Edward.

"I see," said Renee, looking between the two of us. "Well, lets go find some paint."

"Ok," I said as I followed her. We walked over and started looking at paint chips. I picked up one that was dark plum color. "What do you think of this one, Renee?"

"I like it," smiled Renee. "I was thinking that we would get you some black curtains for your windows. What do you think?"

"That would be nice," I mumbled.

"Bella?" asked someone from behind me. I turned to see Mike Newton's mom, Karen, standing behind me. I scooted a little closer to Edward.

"Hello, Mrs. Newton," Edward said as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me even closer to him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Edward. How are you, Bella?" she asked, taking a step closer to me. I automatically stepped back.

"No, no, no, no…" I whispered as I started shaking.

"Edward, why don't you and Bella go look for paint brushes?" said Renee, stepping between me and Karen Newton. "Karen, I have been meaning to call you."

Edward didn't say anything as he pulled me around the corned to where the paint brushes and tape are. I laid my head on Edward's chest, trying to push back the panic that welled up inside of me. Having a panic attack in the middle of this place was a sure way to get sent away. I could still hear Renee and Karen talking.

"You need to back off her, Karen," said Renee, quietly. "She isn't comfortable with people being to close to her yet."

"I'm sorry, Renee. I didn't think about it. Please forgive me," whispered Karen. "How is she doing?"

"She is doing great. It's hard but she is fighting really hard to get her life back," whispered Renee.

"I'm glad to hear it. Let us know if you need anything. I've got to run," said Karen.

After Karen left, Renee came around the corner. I let go of Edward's hand and threw my arms around Renee. For a moment she didn't do anything, then slowly she wrapped her arms around me. We stood there in the middle of home depot and sobbed into each other. She protected me from Karen Newton. I knew at this moment I could trust her.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So small steps are being made but remember what they say, one step forward, three steps back.**


	10. Chapter 10

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

"I love you so much, Renee," I whispered, hugging my mother as tightly as I could. It felt good to finally be able to trust her, to hug her. I had missed the feeling of a mothers love in my almost six years in hell. "Thank you."

"I love you too, Baby," sobbed Renee, laying her head onto my shoulder. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Let's go," she smiled, bringing her hands up to my face.

We quickly bought our paint and supplies and went home. I rode with Renee. I never let go of her hand. When we got home, we took the paint and stuff upstairs. I found all of my furniture sitting on the landing. I walked into my room and found Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, William and Catherine all wearing painting clothes and holding paint brushes. They had already taped everything off for me. I could feel the tears building up in my eyes as I looked around the room and at all of them.

"What?" I asked softly. "How?"

"We want you to feel safe in this room, Bella. We are all willing to do what we can to help you feel safe here," said Charlie, quietly.

I stood there for a moment and looked at him. My father was helping me turn my room into a place that I felt safe. My tears slipped down my face as I slowly went over and wrapped my arms around my father. I felt him sob slightly as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me as tight as he could. It felt like the right timing. They were willing to give me my own space to heal. I needed to let them in. I pulled back and looked at everyone. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't find the right words.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Just thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, go change into some grubby clothes so we can start painting," chuckled Emmett "I put some on my bed."

"Ok," I whispered.

I went over to Emmett's room and quickly changed into the sweats and flannel shirt he left for me. I went back over and picked up a paint brush. It didn't take the twelve of us very long to get my room painted. They were all willing to help me even though I had pushed them away. I knew they loved me but they were trying to show me that they are willing to protect me, to keep me safe. We were just finishing up when Edward grabbed me around the waist and tried to paint the tip of my nose.

"E!"I squealed as I twisted around and pushed my paint brush against his left check.

"You are so going to get it," chuckled Edward as he dropped his brush. He had an evil look on his face. I dropped my brush and took off running down the stairs while I laughed hysterically. "You can't run from me, B."

"Oh yes I can," I teased. I heard him running after me. I ran out the back door just as Edward pulled me into his arms. He ran us over and collapsed in the hammock. "Cheater."

"Whatever," chuckled Edward.

"You always cheated," I chuckled.

"When?" he asked.

"Um, only in everything we did," I laughed.

"Really?" he smirked. "You mean like this?"

He reached down and started tickling my sides. I rolled around on the hammock, laughing so hard I had tears pouring down my face. It was the first time I had heard myself laugh in so long. It sounded foreign to me. Like it was someone else laying on that hammock with her best friend.

"Stop, E," I panted. "I can't breathe."

"Fine," he chuckled. We just laid back in the hammock. Edward had his arm under my head as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"This is what I missed the most," I sighed.

"What? Me tickling you?" chuckled Edward.

"No. Well, yes, but I meant more of just feeling normal. You know, not having to worry about what kind of hell he is going to put me through the next time he came in," I said. "I…I really missed you, E."

"I missed you, B, everyday," he sighed, quietly. "I would sit back and watch the world passing me by and I didn't feel right."

"Why not?" I asked, rolling so that I was nestled into his side.

"Because you weren't there with me, with us," murmured Edward.

"I missed so much," I whispered. "Movies, books, music. First dates, first kisses. I feel like I'm watching someone else's life."

"Me too," murmured Edward. "I always felt so alone. Em had Rosie and Ali had J. I felt like I was in the way."

"Did you ever date?" I asked, ignoring the pain that throbbed in my chest at the mere thought of him with anyone else. He wasn't mine, though.

"Um, I went on a couple of dates," he muttered. "Angela and I went to our first dance together but we were just friends. I never…

"You never what?" I asked, leaning up and looking at him.

"I never stopped thinking about you, B," he whispered.

Edward reached up and stroked my cheek with his hand, gently letting his thumb caress my face. There was a look in his eyes that I didn't quite understand. It almost looked like love but how could I be sure? I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand, letting him just hold me. Could I take the chance and really let him in? I opened my eyes and looked back at him. I had to take the chance but I had to tell him everything first.

"E, will you take a walk with me?" I asked.

"Sure," he said, smiling. "Are you ok?"

"I…I want to tell you what happened," I said softly.

"Are you sure you are ready?" he asked, warily.

"Yes," I whispered. "I trust you, E."

"Ok, lets go let the parents know," murmured Edward as he pulled me off the hammock. He never let go of my hand as we walked back into the house. Everyone was sitting in the living room. "B and I are going to take a walk."

"B, you sure?" asked Emmett, standing up. He moved over and stood in front of me, bringing his hands up to my shoulders. "Are you sure you are ready?"

"Yes, it's time," I whispered, giving him a pointed look.

"Ok, well, take your time," said Emmett softly.

"I will," I whispered.

Edward and I walked back out of the house. We walked in silence for a few minutes while I tried to organize my thoughts. Edward kept my hand in his. We walked down the river that was just about a half mile behind our houses. We sat down on a tree that had fallen. I pulled my knees up to my chest and took a deep breath and told him my story.

EMPOV

"E!" Bella squealed as she twist around and pushed her paint brush against Edward's left check.

"You are so going to get it," chuckled Edward as he dropped his brush. He had an evil look on his face. Bella dropped her brush and took off running down the stairs while she laughed hysterically. "You can't run from me, B."

"Oh, yes I can," she teased. I heard him running after her.

I ran to my room and looked out my window at Edward, who had scooped Bella up and tossed her onto the hammock with him. I watched while he tickled her and she laughed, I mean really laughed for the first time in years. The happy, carefree girl sitting on the hammock was my sister. I just chuckled as I went back into Bella's room. Everyone was looking back and forth at each other, not sure what to make of their exchange.

"What was that?" asked Rose.

"That was the old Bella," I chuckled. "The care free Bella."

"It's good to see her coming out," said Charlie.

"She loves him," I stated.

"What?" asked Renee.

"Bella loves Edward. I can see it in the way she relaxes when he is close to her. She trusts him even more than she trusts me," I explained. "He loves her too."

"What?" said Esme.

"Edward loves Bella. I have suspected that since she was taken," I said shrugging my shoulders.

"Should we encourage her to get into a relationship so soon?" asked Renee.

"Normally, I would say no but Bella and Edward are different," said Carlisle. "When they decide to tell each other how they feel, they will take it slow."

"I guess so," grumbled Charlie.

"Dad, you can trust Edward with her," I chuckled as we all went down to the living room. We had just sat down on the couches when Bella and Edward came back into the house, holding hands.

"B and I are going to take a walk," said Edward. I saw Bella fidget a little with the hem on her shirt. She was going to tell him everything.

"B, you sure?" I asked, standing up. I moved over and stood in front of her, placing my hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure you are ready?"

"Yes, it's time," Bella whispered, giving me a pointed look telling me she will be fine.

"Ok, well, take your time," I said softly.

"I will," she whispered. Edward and Bella walked back out the house.

"Emmett, what did she mean it's time?" asked Renee.

"She is going to tell Edward everything. It's going to be along night for her," I said as I sat down on the stairs. Rose came over and climbed into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and laid my head on her shoulder. I was home.

**Thank you for all the reviews. The next chapter will be…intense. Bella tells Edward everything.**


	11. Chapter 11

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

BPOV

As Edward and I sat next to the river, I felt my nerves building. I took a deep breath, pulled my knees up to my chest, and began my story.

"I was about a block from the library when he pulled up next to me in a black car. He jumped out and pulled me into his car. He stuffed a rag over my mouth and I passed out. I woke up sometime later. I was tied up in the trunk of his car. I could feel it moving under me. I tried to get my hands and feet free but I couldn't. I eventually gave up and cried myself back to sleep. When I woke up again, I was laying in the middle of this pitch black room. I screamed out for someone to help me. He must of have heard me because a few minutes later, the door to my room was thrown open. He flipped on the light and I cringed from how bright it was. He screamed at me to stand up. I just laid there on the floor crying. He came over and grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to my feet. He told me to take off all of my clothes. I slowly began to remove them. I guess I wasn't fast enough because he punched me in the face. I fell back to the ground as I screamed out from the pain. He ripped my clothes off of me and threw me on the bed. He.…he tied my hands and feet to the bed. He stood over me. He stripped out of his clothes and started rubbing my body with one hand while he…pleasured himself. Once he was ready, he climbed on top of me and raped me. I thought I was going to die from the pain. It felt like I was being ripped into a million pieces. I screamed out for him to stop. I begged him to stop. He just laughed and told me he liked it when I cried. Once he was done he left me tied to the bed and turned off the light, shut the door and left me inside the darkness.

"I screamed and cried for someone to help me but no one ever came. The next time he came back, he had this guy with him. He told me he was a doctor. He was going to make sure I could never have a baby. The doctor numbed my stomach and performed a hysterectomy. About half way through, I started to feel everything. I screamed and begged them to stop but he just hit me and told me to shut the fuck up. Eventually I passed out from the pain. I'm not sure how long I was out. When I woke back up, I was in the dark. He came back sometime later and checked on my incision sight. For the next few weeks, he never touched me except for checking on my incision. He eventually untied me and let me off the bed but wouldn't let me wear any clothes. Then one day he came stumbling into my room. He threw a beer bottle at the wall over my head. He dragged me to the bed and threw me down. He raped me again only this time he was much more violent than the first time. He would scratch me and hit me. I was sobbing. It just made him happier. It made him rougher. When he was done he threw me back in the corner. I landed in the pile of glass from the beer bottle. He chuckled as he came over and stomped on my hand. I felt the bones break…" I trailed off as I lifted my scarred hand up to my chest.

"He came in nearly everyday and raped me. I lost count after the hundredth time. He beat me all the time. He used to drug me so I wouldn't fight back as much. I know that I broke several ribs during the years. At some point, he broke my legs and my arms. He just told me to suck it up when I cried from the pain. He would tie a rope around my neck and throw it over a hook on the ceiling. He would pull it to where I was barely on my toes. He would rape me while I choked. He would chain my hands together and hang me from the ceiling and whip me for hours. He would pour his beer in my cuts and watch me cry. He peed on me. He burned me with matches and cigarettes…" I shook my head as my tears fell. "Everyday, I would pray that he would leave me alone. Everyday he would come in and torture me."

"You don't have to finish, if you don't think you can," muttered Edward. I shook my head and looked at him.

"I need to get this out," I said. "I've only told Emmett so far and…"

"Ok," he whispered, slipping his hand into mine.

"One night I asked him why he was doing this to me," I continued. "He just laughed and said the first time he saw me I looked so sweet that he had to have me. I didn't understand what he meant so he brought down his video camera and showed me a tape of me at a baseball game with Emmett and Charlie. He was one of the players. He said he followed us home and watched me for weeks. He had other tapes, E. He had tapes of us on the hammock. He had tapes of us at the park. I….I could hear him getting off on the tapes. He used to tell me he was going to bring you guys to me and make me watch him kill you. I couldn't let him do that so I stopped fighting him as much.

"I think I was around fifteen when he started bring in the other men," I whispered, looking over at him. Edward took a shaky breath and looked out at the river. "I'll understand if you don't want to hear anymore."

"I just…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "It's just…fuck, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," I muttered, looking away. "He had this cement table in the room. He would chain me to the table and let them rape me. They would hit me and pinch me. They pulled out knives and cut me. The more I cried the more aggressive they got. They would rape me so much that I would tear and bleed. They didn't care as long as they got their whore. They didn't care how much they hurt me. I was nothing more than a piece of trash whore to them."

"You are not a piece of trash whore," he cried, bringing our joined hands up to his lips.

"The night before they found me," I whispered, letting my tears fall, "he came in and put a gun to my head. He asked me if I wanted him to kill me. I begged him not to do it. I didn't want to die. He pulled the trigger and I flinched. He just laughed. He picked me up and threw me against the wall. He came over and raped me over and over and over. I eventually passed out. I woke up when the police banged open the door. I scrambled into my corner. The police turned on the light and I hid my face. I was so ashamed. They came over to me and kneeled me to me and asked me who I was. I was afraid to answer them. What if he heard me? What if they were his men? Then one of them gently reached out and grabbed my hand. I lost it. I started screaming and kicking at them to leave me alone. One of them wrapped his arms around me and restrained me until I passed out.

"I woke up two days later in the hospital. Em, Charlie and Renee were sitting there. I tried to reach out for Emmett but my hands were strapped down. I started screaming for Emmett to help me. He threw the straps off and pulled me into his arms. I couldn't let him go. My doctor came in and tried to sedate me but Emmett told them all to leave. Once they were gone, I was able to relax a little. He climbed into the bed with me and whispered that he was going to bring me home. He promised to protect me and take care of me. He has done it all, E. He brought me back to you. You were always home for me. I never stopped thinking about you. When he would leave me alone in the darkness, I used to pretend that you were sitting next to me. You would wrap your arms around me and hum to me. You would tell me some stupid joke. E, I kept fighting for as long as I did because of you," I cried.

"B, you are so much stronger than I ever thought you were," whispered Edward, ignoring his tears as they fell down his face. "I'm so proud of you for not giving up. B, I…"

"You what?" I whispered. Edward turned and looked me in the eye.

"B, I love you. I have loved you forever," he whispered.

"I love you too, E," I cried. "I think I've always loved you but I didn't realize that is what it was until the day he took me. I kept thinking about the look on your face when I left your house after we fought. I am so sorry, E. I love you so much."

"I love you too, B," he murmured.

"E?"

"Yes?"

"Will…will you kiss me?" I whispered, looking up at him. "I need to know that you are real."

"Yes, but if it gets to be too much, tell me to stop," he whispered.

"Ok"

Edward gently reached up and cradled my face in his hands. He bent down and softly pressed his lips to mine. For a second, I could feel the panic starting to rise but then Edward gently rubbed my check with his finger. I felt my body relax. I kissed him back softly for a moment before I pulled back.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

"I'm fine," I whispered. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Forever," whispered Edward. "We had better get back before they get worried."

"Ok," I sighed as I stood up.

Edward gently wrapped his arm around my waist and led me back to the house. I knew I was going to need to tell everyone else soon. I owed it to Charlie and Renee but I didn't have the strength to do it tonight. I leaned against Edward as we walked into the house. We could hear everyone upstairs in my room so we went inside to join them. Everyone turned to look at us as we came in. They looked a little worried.

"You ok, B?" asked Emmett, coming over to me.

"I'm great, Em," I said as I smiled at him.

"Good," said Emmett. I could see him entire body relax. "Now get to painting."

"You are so bossy," I chuckled.

"I am older than you," he teased.

"By two whole minutes, Em," I chuckled.

"Still older."

"Whatever," I said as I rolled my eyes.

We spent another house adding the second coat of paint to my walls. I kept sneaking peaks at Edward. I would stick my tongue out at him or he would pretend to be picking his nose. By the time we got done, I was laughing so hard that I actually snorted. Everyone turned and looked at me and slowly grinned. I know they were enjoying seeing my happier for a change. Honestly, I felt almost normal.

We ordered pizza for dinner. We ate while we let the second coat of paint dry on my walls. I ate three pieces of the works. It was so good. Edward sat next to me and kept leaning in and whispering in my ear that he loved me. I would just lean back over and whisper it back into his ear. He would get the biggest smile on his face every time.

Once everyone was done, they helped me move everything back into my room. After we had the furniture moved back in, everyone had to go back home. Tomorrow was our first day of school. I hugged Edward. He leaned down and kissed my check. Emmett whispered something to him. Edward just nodded his head and smiled at me before he left. Renee pulled out the new bedding she got it me. It was dark purple with large black flowers on it.

"It's perfect, Renee," I whispered. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Bella." she chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked softly as we made up the bed.

"It's not so much funny as it is a relief. The old Bella is coming out more and more. I missed her."

"I did too. I almost felt normal tonight."

"Did you tell Edward everything?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes," I whispered, avoiding her eyes.

"How did he take it?"

"He looked sad. He told me he was proud of me not quitting. He told me he loves me," I whispered softly.

"Did you tell him you love him?" asked Renee.

"Yes."

"Is that why you can talk to them but not to your dad or I?" asked Renee. I looked up at her. Did she think I didn't love them?

"I do love you, Renee. I'm afraid to tell you. I don't want to add to your pain," I explained.

"Sweetheart, regardless of whether you ever tell us what happened or not, we hurt not because of you but for you. You're our baby girl. Things like this didn't happen to us. One minute you were stomping away, mad at Edward, the next you were gone. I felt like I lost part of my heart. I couldn't breathe until the day I saw you laying in that hospital bed. It hurts us to know that we couldn't stop it from happening to you," said Renee as her tears ran down her face.

"I just don't want you to have to listen to the details. I don't want you to see me as the weak girl who is scared of her own shadow," I muttered. "I want you to see fun, alive, Bella. Not the other one."

"We know that, Bella, but you are never going to go back to the fun, alive, Bella until you deal with the other one. You can't deal with her alone," said Renee, hugging me. "You had better get to bed. You have school tomorrow."

"I love you, Renee," I whispered. "Good night."

"Goodnight, sweetie."

Renee left my room. I went over and shut my door. I walked into the closet and changed into my pajamas. I went over to my window and saw Edward waiting for me. I blew him a kiss and crawled into bed. I tossed and turned for a while before I finally settled into a deep sleep. Then I saw his eyes.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So before I get the reviews telling me that it was too soon for Edward and Bella to declare themselves to each other, please have some faith. They still have a lot to overcome but right now, they both need each other. Coming up next: EPOV.**


	12. Chapter 12

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

EPOV

I sat there on the tree branch and listened to my Bella tell me about all the pain, the beatings, the rapes, the torture. I felt like some one had sucker punched me. This thing had put his hands on my Bella and had broken her. I wasn't there to keep her safe. I should have been with her that day. I wanted so badly to tell her I loved her. When Bella came over to the house that morning, I wanted to kiss her and love her forever.

We had gone out to the hammock to read Wuthering Heights, Bella's favorite book. I was so nervous being so close to her that I spilled my grape juice all over her book. She was so mad. She screamed that I did it on purpose. I tried to tell her it was an accident but she wouldn't listen to me. She ran out of the yard crying. I ran after her but she told me to leave her alone. She said she would go to the library and get a copy. I offered to go with her but she told me no. She said she hated me for ruining her book. She turned and walked away. That was the last time I saw my Bella until two days ago.

When we realized that Bella was missing, I felt like my life had been taken from me. I begged Carlisle to let me help in the search but he said I needed to stay at home. They thought she must have wandered off into the woods. I didn't think she did. Then they came home and told us that Billy Black saw her getting kidnapped. I ran up to my room and sobbed for days. I couldn't face anyone. It was my fault that she had gone off on her own.

I completely shut down. I wouldn't speak to anyone unless I was addressed first. I couldn't face them. Emmett was worse than I was. He locked himself in his room. Rose finally had to go break him out but I didn't have anyone to help me. I needed Bella. I never stopped loving Bella. I knew that I would always love her. The police and FBI tried to tell us that she was probably dead but I could still feel her. I knew she was alive.

Going back to school was a nightmare. Everyone would stare at the five us. We got into fights, started acting out. Our grades dropped so bad that we ended up going to summer school. Then Emmett told us that we had to get it together. He said that when Bella comes back, she is going to be pissed that we gave us. He was right. Emmett, Jasper and I ended up trying out for the football team. It was the perfect place for us to let out all of our anger and frustrations. Girls started flirting with me and asked me out but I couldn't do it. I needed my Bella.

Then Carlisle came home one day and said they found her. He had taken Charlie, Renee and Emmett to the airport so they could fly to Phoenix Arizona. He explained that Bella had been found alive in the cellar of an abandoned house. Her kidnapper had been shot and killed in a shootout with the police. They had gone to his house to search for drugs when they found her naked, bruised and afraid. They tried to talk to her but she refused to say anything. The tried to touch her and she totally freaked out and they had to restrain her. It took every ounce of my control not to get on a plane to Phoenix. But I knew she needed Emmett right now.

Over the next couple of months, Emmett would call and let us know how she was doing. He said she was slowly confiding in him but no one else yet. She had nearly been starved to death. She had been broken and abused. He said it was going to take time but he was going to bring her home. Finally two days ago he did.

When I saw Bella walk into her house, I could barely contain my joy. She looked lost and afraid but when she looked over at me, I saw a spark in her eye. She gave us a small smile and whispered hi to us. We all stepped closer to her and she flinched and took a step backwards. After making a few polite comments, she relaxed and came over and wrapper her tiny arms around me. I felt the same tingle I always felt when I touched my Bella. Emmett came over and hugged us then the others followed. The last two days have been hard for all of us, especially Bella. She never did like being in the center of attention. She doesn't like it that everyone is worried about her. She is afraid that they are mad at her for not being able to let them back in yet. Slowly, I see the old Bella coming back.

"My doctor came in and tried to sedate me but Emmett told them all to leave. Once they were gone, I was able to relax a little. He climbed into the bed with me and whispered that he was going to bring me home. He promised to protect me and take care of me. He has done it all, E. He brought my back to you. You were always home for me. I never stopped thinking about you. When he would leave me alone in the darkness. I used to pretend that you were sitting next to me. You would wrap your arms around me and hum to me. You would tell me some stupid joke. E, I kept fighting for as long as I did because of you."

"B, you are so much stronger than I ever thought you were," I whispered, letting my tears fall freely. "I'm so proud of you for not giving up. B, I…"

"You what?" she whispered. I turned and looked at her.

"B, I love you. I have loved you forever," I whispered.

"I love you too, E," cried Bella. "I think I always loved you but I didn't realize that is what it was until the day he took me. I kept thinking about the look on your face when I left your house after we fought. I am so sorry, E. I love you so much."

"I love you too, B," I murmured.

"E?"

"Yes?"

"Will…will you kiss me?" Bella whispered, looking up at me. "I need to know that you are real."

"Yes, but if it gets to be to much tell me to stop," I whispered.

"Ok."

I gently reached up and cradled her face in my hands. I bent down and softly pressed my lips to hers. For a second, I could feel the panic starting to rise in her but I gently rubbed her cheek with my finger and felt her body relax. She kissed me back softly for a moment before she pulled back.

"Are you ok?" I whispered.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Forever," I whispered. "We had better get back before they get worried."

"Ok," She sighed as she stood up.

I gently wrapped my arm around her waist and led her back to the house. She leaned against me as we walked into the house. We could hear everyone upstairs in her room so we went inside to join them. Everyone turned to look at us as we came in. They looked a little worried.

"You ok, B?" asked Emmett, coming over to us.

"I'm great, Em," Bella said as she smiled at him.

"Good," said Emmett. "Now get to painting."

"You are so bossy," she chuckled.

"I am older than you," he teased.

"By two whole minutes, Em," she chuckled.

"Still older."

"Whatever," she said as she rolled her eyes.

We spent another house adding the second coat of paint to her walls. I kept sneaking peeks at Bella. She would stick her tongue out at me or I would pretend to be picking my nose. By the time we got done, Bella was laughing so hard that she actually snorted. Everyone turned and looked at her and slowly grinned. I know they were enjoying seeing Bella happier for a change. Honestly, I was too.

After we finished painting her room, we ordered some pizzas for dinner. I sat next to Bella and watched her devour three pieces of the works. I noticed that Charlie and Renee were smiling as they watched her eat. I leaned over several times and whispered into her ear that I loved her. She would just smile and whispered in my ear that she loved me too. I am sure I was grinning like a fool but I had waited six years to hear my Bella say those three words.

Once we were done eating Carlisle, Will, Charlie, Emmett, Jasper and I moved Bella's furniture back into her room. It was getting late and we all had our first day of school tomorrow. I hugged Bella and kissed her on the check before I walked out of her room. Emmett stopped me and pulled my ear down to him.

"Keep your phone close. She is going to need you tonight," whispered Emmett.

"Ok," I whispered as I nodded my head.

I turned and smiled at Bella before I followed my family downstairs. We walked next door to our house in silence. I was fixing to go upstairs to my room when Carlisle and Esme stopped me. They asked me to come sit in the living room with them. Alice just gave me a small smile before she ran upstairs to get cleaned up. I turned and followed my parents into the living room and sat down.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Edward, did Bella tell you everything?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes."

"How bad was it?" he asked.

"It was worse that I thought. She…" I trailed off. "It was worse than living in hell."

"Edward, are you and Bella together now?" asked Esme.

"Yes."

"Edward, you know you are going to have to take things incredibly slow with her," said Carlisle. "The smallest thing could push her recovery back."

"I know, Dad. Bella and I have all the time in the world. I love her. I can't live without her any longer," I said, softly.

"Edward, take good care of her," murmured Carlisle. I looked up and noticed he was crying.

"Dad, she will let you in soon. She loves you both so much. She told me today that she is worried about hurting you," I explained.

"I know. I just don't know what to do," he said. "I was always able to fix her when you were little. I could put a bandaid on it and kiss it and she would be better. I can't do that now."

"Just give her some time. She is slowly coming back to us."

"I love you, Edward. I don't say it enough."

"I love you both. Thanks for being the best parents," I said as I hugged them.

"You are not too bad yourself, son," whispered Carlisle.

I turned and ran upstairs. I was fixing to go into my room when I heard Alice crying in her room. I ran across the hall and found her laying in the middle of her bed. I went over and swept her into my arms and held her.

"What's wrong, Ali?"

"She has been through so much," cried Alice. "How did she survive it all?"

"She held on to us. She fought for us. She lived for us," I whispered.

"How bad was it?" asked Alice.

"Ali, she lived in hell. The things he did to her. He broke her," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye. "She needs us to stay strong for her."

"I'll try, E," she said as she pulled back from me. "I'm really happy for the both of you."

"Thanks, Alice. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered.

I kissed her forehead and walked into my room. I quickly changed into my pajamas. I got my stuff ready for school the next day. I looked out my window and saw Bella moving around in her room. She looked over at me and I smiled. She blew me a kiss. She turned and walked away. A few moment's later her light went off. I finished getting my stuff ready. I had just laid down on my bed when my cell phone rang. I looked at the ID and saw that it was Emmett.

"I'll be right there," I said as I answered the phone.

"Hurry, it's bad tonight," said Emmett. I could hear Bella screaming in the background. I jumped up and ran down stairs. Carlisle and Esme came running in from the kitchen.

"Edward?" asked Esme.

"Bella needs me. I will be back when I can," I yelled as I ran out of the house. I ran next door and Charlie was waiting for me with the door open. "What happened?"

"She woke up about five minutes ago screaming for you. She said she had to save you," said Charlie as he lead me upstairs to Bella's room. Emmett was holding her as she thrashed around. She was clawing at his arms, trying to free herself.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME. I NEED TO SAVE EDWARD. PLEASE LET ME GO. HE IS GOING TO KILL HIM. LET ME GO!" She screamed. I ran over and pulled her out of Emmett's arms.

"B, I'm right here. No one is going to hurt me," I whispered. She immediately stopped struggling against me.

"E, please don't leave me. I need you. Please don't leave me," she sobbed as she pulled herself closer to me. "Please."

"I'm not leaving you, B. Not now, not ever," I whispered.

I started to hum to her softly. Bella slowly stopped crying and fell back to sleep. Charlie and Renee sat on the floor by her door while Emmett held them. They cried quietly while I rocked Bella back to sleep. Once she was sleep I went to lay her down but she started whimpering. I pulled her back to me and she stopped.

"Edward, stay with her tonight," whispered Charlie. "I'll go call Carlisle and let him know."

"Ok, Charlie," I whispered as I laid us down in her bed. Renee came over and kissed Bella's forehead and then mine.

"We will see you in the morning," whispered Renee. She and Charlie left. Emmett came over and sat on the bottom of Bella's bed. He reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Thanks, E," he whispered. I noticed he had tears falling down his face.

"For what?" I asked.

"For loving my sister. She is going to need you take care of her. She is going to need all of us but especially you. School is going to be hard."

"Em, she's my life. I can't live with out her," I whispered.

"I know how you feel. I feel the same way about Rosie," whispered Emmett. "Get some sleep."

"Ok, Em."

Emmett leaned down and kissed Bella's forehead before he walked back into his room. Bella started shivering so I pulled the blanket over us. She melted into my embrace as we fell into a peaceful sleep. I smiled as I her I heard her murmur my name in her sleep. I was home.

**Thank you for all the reviews. How'd you like EPOV?**


	13. Chapter 13

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

BPOV

After Renee left my room, I went over and shut my door. I walked into the closet and changed into my pajamas. I went over to my window and saw Edward waiting for me. I blew him a kiss and crawled into bed. I tossed and turned for a while before I finally settled into a deep sleep. Then I saw his eyes.

_He dragged me off the floor and chained my hands together. He hung them up on the ceiling, my toes barely touched the floor. I felt my body start to shake as he ran his fingers over my breasts. He laughed as he reached out and punched me in the gut. I gasped as I struggled to breathe. He stepped back and pulled out his whip._

"_NOOOOOO, PLEASE! NOT AGAIN," I screamed._

"_I have to punish you, whore. I heard you talking about that boy in your sleep again last night," he chuckled._

"_PLEASE, I WON'T DO IT AGAIN," I screamed as he reared back and struck me with the whip. I felt my skin tear open. I felt the blood pour down my legs. "AAAAAHHHH."_

_He continued to whip me several more times. He would alternate from whipping my back to whipping my front. After a dozen times, he paused and poured his beer on my wounds. It burned causing me to cry even louder._

"_Please stop," I begged. "I can't take it anymore."_

"_Hmmm, maybe I should go find your little boyfriend. Would you like me to bring him in here with you? You can watch me kill him," he chuckled. _

"_NO, PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM."_

"_I think I will go get him now. You will see him soon, my pet," he chuckled._

_He turned and walked out of the room, leaving me chained to the ceiling bleeding. I tried to pull my hands down._

"_NO, PLEASE DON'T HURT EDWARD."_

"B, you're ok," whispered Emmett.

I snapped my eyes open but all I could see was the look in his eyes. He was going to hurt my Edward.I pushed against Emmett as I tried to get up. Emmett held me tighter. I started hitting him.

"LET ME GO. I NEED TO GET TO EDWARD. HE IS GOING TO KILL HIM. I HAVE TO SAVE HIM. PLEASE LET ME GO!" I screamed.

"Bella, he isn't going to hurt Edward," said Charlie as I heard Emmett on his cell phone.

"Hurry, it's bad tonight," muttered Emmett.

"YES HE IS. HE LEFT ME SO HE COULD GO FIND EDWARD. PLEASE LET ME GO!" I screamed

"Bella, Edward is ok," cried Renee.

"LET GO OF ME. I WON'T BE YOUR WHORE ANYMORE. LET ME GO. I HAVE TO SAVE HIM. HE IS MINE. YOU CAN'T FUCKING HAVE HIM!" I screamed as I clawed Emmett's arms. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME. I NEED TO SAVE EDWARD. PLEASE LET ME GO. HE IS GOING TO KILL HIM. LET ME GO."

"B, I'm right here. No one is going to hurt me," Edward murmured. I felt his arms wrap around me. I immediately stopped struggling against him and held onto him as tightly as I could.

"E, please don't leave me. I need you. Please don't leave me," I sobbed as I pulled myself closer to him. "Please."

"I'm not leaving you, B. Not now, not ever," Edward whispered.

Edward started to hum a soft melody to me. I felt the rhythm of his heartbeats. I used it to help me calm down. I could feel the panic roll off me as I melted into Edward's arms. I slowly stopped crying and fell into a restful sleep. I slept good for the first time in nearly six years.

I slowly opened my eyes. They were sore from crying last night. I went to move but I felt arms pulling me tighter. I looked behind me and saw Edward looking down at me. He had a small smile on his face.

"You stayed," I whispered.

"Yes, once you fell asleep, I went to lay to down but you started whimpering again so Charlie told me to stay. Did you sleep better after I got here?" he asked.

"Yes, first time in six years that I have really slept," I muttered as I laid my head on his chest. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, love," said Edward. "Do you want to tell me about last night?"

"I used to talk about you in my sleep. Whenever he heard me he would punish me. The last time he chained me up to the ceiling and began to whip me. I could feel my skin tear and bleed. I begged him to stop. I…told him I couldn't take it any longer. He just laughed and asked me if I wanted him to bring…you there. He said I would have to watch him kill you. I begged him not to hurt you. He laughed again and said he was going to go get you. He said I would see you soon. He turned and left me chained to the ceiling for three days before he came back," I explained. "He said soon you would be joining me. The police found me two days later."

"B, he isn't going to hurt me or you anymore. I promise."

"I know," I whispered. "It was just a bad dream. I just can't get him out of my head. He is always there taunting me, laughing at my pain."

"B, you need to talk to someone," urged Edward. "You could talk to Carlisle. He has had a lot of training."

"I….I can't yet," I whispered. "Please, just not yet."

"Ok, love, but when you are ready, I will be right there with you."

"Thank you, E, for helping me last night. I love you."

"I love you too, B," he murmured. "I am going to go home and get changed. I will see you at school."

"Ok."

Edward kissed my check before he left. I got out of my bed and went into the bathroom. I turned on the water as hot as it would go. I stripped out of my pajamas and stepped in. I spent five minutes scrubbing my body raw. I eventually washed my hair and climbed out. I pulled on my robe and went into my closest and got dressed. I dried my hair, leaving it down so it would cover the scars on the back of my neck. I put on some make-up and went downstairs. Charlie, Renee and Emmett were sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast. I climbed into Emmett's lap and brought my knees up to my chest.

"Bella, are you ok?" asked Renee.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," I whispered softly. "I…I'm sorry for how I acted last night."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Baby," said Renee.

"He used to punish me for talking about Edward in my sleep. The last time was just a few days before I was found. He whipped me and when I begged him to stop, he said he was going to bring Edward to me. Just the thought of him…." I trailed off as I ducked my head into Emmett's neck.

I could hear Charlie and Renee crying to themselves. Emmett wrapped his arms around me tighter. He knew about the whipping but not about the threats. Renee and Charlie slowly came over and kneeled in front of us. I reached out and pulled them into my arms.

"Baby, he isn't going to hurt you ever again," cried Renee. "You're safe now."

"I know. I just…can't…..lose….any….of ….you ….again," I sobbed. "I….need you ….all."

"We are not going anywhere. None of us. The Cullen's and the Hale's love you so much, baby. They want to help you heal just as much as we do."

"I am trying to let them in. I really am. It's just so hard. I don't want them to know how he humiliated me. He called me a whore. He said I was dirty. He said that you didn't want me anymore," I cried.

"Bella, we will always love you. We will always want you with us. You are not a whore. You are so brave, so strong," cried Charlie. "You survived."

"Thank you for helping me. I know it's been hard but I couldn't have done it without you," I whispered as I slowly stopped crying.

We slowly broke apart. I tried to eat my breakfast but I wasn't very hungry. I was terrified about going to school. When it was time to go, I got into the jeep with Emmett. Charlie and Renee insisted on going with me to the office this morning so they followed us in their car. I pulled up in the parking lot and saw a few reporters by the front door. They were being held off by the police. I slowly climbed out of the jeep. Emmett wrapped his arm around me. Charlie came to my other side and did the same thing. The four of us slowly walked into the school. The reporters were shouting out question at me. I just ducked my head and tried to ignore them. We found Edward, Rose, Jasper and Alice waiting for us outside of the office. Here I go, I thought to myself.

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	14. Chapter 14

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

"Hey, guys," I whispered, loud enough for only them to hear me.

"Hey, B," they said just as softly.

"You ok, B?" asked Edward.

"I think so," I whispered, looking around as quickly as I could. "We'll be right back."

"Ok," he said.

Charlie, Renee, Emmett, and I went into the office. The lady behind the desk looked up and saw me. She gasped loudly which made me cringe slightly and turned into Emmett. He tightened his grip on my shoulder and pulled me to the counter after our parents.

"Can I help you?" she asked, darting her eyes from Charlie and Renee to me.

"My daughter, Bella Swan, is starting school here," said Renee, squeezing my hand.

"Of course. Bella, I am Mrs. Cope. I have your schedule and a map of the school right here," said Mrs. Cope. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't get the words out. I tried to reach out and grab the papers but I couldn't lift my arm. I looked up at Emmett, panicking already.

"I'll take those, Mrs. Cope," said Emmett, pulling the papers out of her hands.

"We would like to speak to Mr. Stevens for a few minutes if we can," said Charlie.

"Of course, please go on into the conference room. He will be there in a moment."

"Thank you," said Charlie.

They pulled me into the conference room and down me into a chair next to Emmett. Charlie sat to the left of me and Renee sat next to him. I closed my eyes as soon as the door opened. I shook me head slightly and opened me eyes. It was a reflex and I had to break it. Mr. Stevens, a Latin man with dark hair and eyes, came in and sat across from Charlie.

"Charlie, how may I help you today?" he asked, looking around at all of us.

"Well, we were hoping that you could fix Bella's schedule so that either Emmett, Edward, Rosalie, Jasper or Alice were in each of her classes. They will be able to help her relax," explained Charlie.

"I have already done so. I believe Edward is in her first period English class. Jasper is in second period history with her. Alice and Rosalie are in her third period gym class. Emmett will be in her fourth period Spanish II class. Then we have lunch. Edward is in Biology and trig with her in the afternoon," explained Mr. Stevens.

"Charlie, I can't… gym," I whispered to my father. "Please…"

"Is there anyway to get her out of gym? She doesn't like the contact with people," explained Charlie.

"I'm afraid not but I have talked to Coach Clapp who has agreed to let her earn her credit through independent exercises. She won't be required to participate in group activities. He agreed to let Rosalie and Alice join her."

"Bella, is that ok with you?" asked Renee. I just nodded my head softly.

"Bella, I want you to know that we want to make this as easy for you as we can. Please let one of your friends know if we can help you with anything."

"Ok," I barely whispered.

"Thank you, Mr. Stevens. We had better get to class," said Emmett.

"We will see you at home later, Bella," whispered Renee.

"Ok, Renee. See you," I whispered. Emmett led me out to the hallway. My legs felt like jelly.

"Hey guys," said Emmett as we stepped out into the hall. "E, you have English with B first period. You can take her to history with J. B, Rosie and Ali will get you from history and take you to gym. I will get you from gym and take you to Spanish. We will meet you all at the table for lunch. E, you have bio and trig with her after lunch."

"Ok," they all chuckled.

"I feel like we should all put our hands together and say one, two, three, team," I muttered, softly.

"We can if you want," chuckled Emmett.

"That's ok," I muttered. I could feel people staring at me and it made me feel very uncomfortable.

"Let's get to class, B," murmured Edward.

"Ok, see you guys later," I said as Edward wrapped his arm around me.

Edward led me down the hallway to our English class. Everyone in the hall parted so we could walk down. I could hear them whispering about me. I clinched my fists and dug my nails into my palms. Edward just squeezed me closer and I relaxed a little bit. We walked into our class and Edward led me to the back corner. He sat in the seat next to mine and pulled me closer to him so he was partially hiding me from everyone. I pulled my hair over my shoulder to hide my face even more. As everyone came into the classroom, they stared at me. I could hear them whisper about what had happened to me. The bell rang loudly causing me to flinch slightly. The teacher came in and looked over at me. She gasped lightly before she pulled herself together.

"Good morning, class. I am Mrs. Owens. Welcome to English. The first thing we need to do is get you in your assigned seats. I am going to have you sit alphabetically."

"E…" I said, looking at him as I started panicking. "I can't…"

"Mrs. Owens, Bella needs to sit next to me," said Edward.

"I'm afraid I can't let her. I need you to sit alphabetically," she said as she reached out for my arm.

"NO, NO, NO, NO,NO!" I screamed. I fell out of my seat trying to get away. I curled up in a ball waiting for her to hit me. "PLEASE DON'T HIT ME. I'LL BE GOOD."

"Leave her alone," snapped Edward. He fell to the ground and pulled me into his arms.

"I can't…I can't…I can't…" I mumbled. "I CAN'T!"

"Edward-" started Mrs. Owens.

"Go get Mr. Stevens now. I need to speak with him," snapped Edward.

"I'll go," I heard Angela say.

"No…I can't…please…no," I whispered as I clung to him.

A few moments later, the door to the classroom swung open. Angela and Mr. Stevens came running in.

"What happened?" asked Mr. Stevens.

"I-" started Mrs. Owens but Edward interrupted her.

"She said we had to sit in assigned seats alphabetically. Bella needs to sit next to me. She won't be able to handle sitting by anyone else. Mrs. Owens reached out to grab her arm and she got scared," explained Edward.

"Mrs. Owens, may I speak with you out in the hall?" said Mr. Stevens.

"Of course," She mumbled. They left and Edward lifted me up and set me back in me seat. He kept his arm wrapped around me as tightly as he could.

"B, you're ok. No one is going to hurt you," whispered Edward.

I started taking deep breaths to calm myself down. A few minutes later the door opened again and Mr. Stevens and Mrs. Owens came back in. Mr. Stevens came over to me but stay far enough away that it didn't scare me.

"Bella, please have your friends give this slip to each of your teachers. It just tells them that you need to sit with them and not to try to touch you. Ok?" he explained as he handed it to Edward. I just nodded my head softly. "Remember what I said earlier."

Mr. Stevens left our classroom. Everyone was still staring at me. I just buried my face into Edward's chest.

"Ok, class, we are going to forget about the assigned seats," said Mrs. Owens as she started class again.

For the rest of the hour, I sat with my face hidden in Edward's chest. He rubbed my back the whole time. Maybe it was mistake to come back to school. Mrs. Owens handed us all our books and assigned reading list, handing my stuff to Edward. Once the bell rang, Edward helped me put my stuff in my bag. We were almost at the door when Mrs. Owens stopped us.

"Bella, I am sorry for upsetting you earlier. I didn't think about what you were needing. I truly am sorry," she said softly. I just nodded my head at her.

"She just needs time to adjust," said Edward.

"I'll do what I can to make it better for her," said Mrs. Owens.

Edward and I left her classroom. I could hear everyone talking in the hall about what had happened in English. I started shaking slightly as we made our way to my history class. Jasper was waiting for us outside of the classroom.

"Have her teacher sign this. She didn't have a good first period. Keep her close," whispered Edward.

"I'll take care of her," muttered Jasper as he pulled me into his arms.

"I know you will. I see you at lunch, B," whispered Edward before he kissed my forehead.

"Ok, E," I whispered softly. Jasper led me over to the teachers desk.

"You need to sign this for her," said Jasper as he handed the teacher the slip.

"Ok. Go find your seats and let me know if she needs anything," he said as he read it. He quickly signed it and handed it back to Jasper.

Jasper led me to the back of the room like Edward did. He let me sit in the corner so he could block everyone from looking at me.

"Thanks, J," I whispered very softly.

"I'm just taking care of my little sister," he chuckled softly.

"You are only older by one hour," I whispered, peeking up at him.

"Still older," he chuckled.

"You sound like Em," I muttered.

Everyone quickly made their way into the classroom. I could feel them staring at me as they found their seats. I tensed up a little when I saw Lauren come in. She saw me and started snickering to herself. I ducked my head as I felt the tears building in my eyes. She had always been a bitch but she had never been this cruel, that I knew of at least.

"Something funny, Miss…" asked the teacher.

"Mallory, sir. No, nothing is funny," she said, rudely.

"I certainly hope that you don't find the pain of a fellow student a reason to snicker to yourself. I would like to think that maybe you might be a little more understanding than that. Do you understand me?" he snapped.

"Y…yes, sir," she stammered.

"Good, my name is Peter Davis. I am new here to this school and I look forward to teaching you all about the past. I think it is important to deal with the past before you can move on into the future," he said as he gave me a soft smile. I returned it. I somehow felt like I could trust him.

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	15. Chapter 15

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

Peter continued to speak but I barely heard him. I could feel everyone turn and look at me through out the hour. I wanted to crawl into a dark hole and hide from them all but I knew I couldn't do that. I owed it to Emmett, Charlie and Renee to keep trying. I owed it to Edward, Rose, Alice and Jasper to keep trying. I owed it to Carlisle, Esme, Will and Cat to keep trying. One way or another, I was going to have to move on, let it go. I was so lost inside my mind that I didn't realize the bell was fixing to ring.

"AAAAHHH!" I screamed as I flinched into Jasper's arm.

"It's ok, B. It was just the bell," murmured Jasper, wrapping his arm around me.

"Sorry," I barely whispered.

"It's ok," he whispered back. He helped me put my book in my bag. He led me over to the door and we waited for Alice and Rose to get here. "B, I'm really happy about you and E."

"Thanks, J," I whispered.

"Hey, B. You ready for gym?" asked Alice as she looped her arm in with mine.

"Sure. J, do you have my slip?" I whispered softly.

"Yes, have Coach Clapp sign it," said Jasper, giving the slip to Alice.

"Ok, J," she said, smiling.

"Thanks, J," I whispered again.

"You're welcome. I'll see you at lunch," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed Alice before he turned and started walking down the hall.

"How were you first two classes?" asked Rose as she and Alice led me down to the gym.

"English sucked. History was ok," I muttered, softly.

Alice and Rose didn't say anything as we walked to the gym. We had just gotten to the gym door when I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder. I fell to my knees and started screaming as I was thrown back into the dark room.

"NOOOOOOO, PLEASE…STOP…IT…HURTS!" I screamed

"Ali, go get E and Em. They are in history right now," snapped Rose as she pulled me to her.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" I screamed as I trashed around on the ground. I felt someone, other then Rose, try to hold me still. "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME! LEAVE ME ALONE."

"Don't touch her again, Mike," hissed Rosalie. "Everyone back off."

"What the hell happened, Rosie?" bellowed Emmett. I felt Edward wrap me in his arms and I immediately relaxed.

"Mike fucking grabbed her from behind. She had a panic attack so I sent Alice to get you both. She started thrashing around so he tried to pin her to the ground," growled Rose.

"NEWTON, KEEP YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER. SHE DOESN'T LIKE TO BE TOUCHED!" bellowed Emmett, lunging for him. Coach Clapp pulled him back just before he could hit Mike.

"I didn't mean to scare her," muttered Mike.

"Edward, take her to my office. I'll be right in. Mr. Newton, lets go have a little talk about keeping our hands to ourselves," said Coach Clapp.

Edward picked me up and took me into Coach Clapp's office. He sat down in a chair and started humming to me. I felt Emmett come over and kneel in front of me. He put his hand on my back and began to rub it softly.

"It's ok, B. He will not touch you again," said Emmett.

"I…I know," I whispered. "I want everyone to stop looking at me. I want them to stop talking about me when they think I can't hear them. I am not a circus side show."

"They will stop soon, love. They are just worried about you," murmured Edward.

"I just want to be normal. Why did he have to want me?" I muttered.

"I don't know, B. He was sick," whispered Emmett. The door opened and Coach Clapp came in.

"Bella, are you ok?" he asked. He just stepped into the office but didn't come any closer.

"I…I'm…fine," I stammered. "I'm…sorry for…freaking out."

"You did nothing wrong," he said, holding his hand up. "When you are ready, Alice and Rose will bring you into the gym."

"I'm ready now," I whispered as I stood up slowly.

"Ok. Boys, you should get back to class," said Coach Clapp, pushing the door open and stepping out into the hall. "I will make sure she is ok."

"Thanks, Coach," said Emmett.

Edward and Emmett hugged me before they left. Rose and Alice came in and led me out into the gym. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me from their seats in the bleachers. I just ducked my head as Alice and Rose led me to a part of the bleachers where nobody was sitting. They sat on either side of me, each placing holding one of my hands.

"Ok, listen up," said Coach Clapp, looking around. "This year in gym we will be covering several different sports. We will start with volleyball, then move on to basketball. We might have time before the Christmas break to work on badminton. Now I know most of you saw the incident that happened before class started. I want to make myself very clear on this matter. You all are to leave Miss Swan and her friends alone. She is working really hard to rebuild her life and she needs you to leave her alone. If I find out that anyone of you bother her inside this gym or outside of it, I promise the repercussion will be swift and harsh. Do you all understand me?"

"Yes sir," was muttered by everyone in the gym.

"Good, now I will call you up to get your gym cloths one at a time. I will start with Bella, Rose and Alice."

The three of us slowly made our way down to the table that Coach Clapp was standing at. He handed Rose and Alice both a pair of shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt before holding some out to me.

"I…I can't…" I whispered as I started to panic.

"Bella, what's wrong?" asked Coach Clapp.

"Rosie…"I said as I started to have trouble breathing. I couldn't let everyone see.

"Deep breaths, B. She doesn't wear shorts or short sleeve t-shirts. She has a lot of scars," whispered Rosie.

"I see. Bella, can you bring some sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt from home to wear?" whispered Coach Clapp.

"Yes," I barely managed to whisper.

"That will be fine. Rose, Alice, I want you to find her someplace in the dressing room that is private for her to change everyday."

"Yes, sir."

Rose, Alice and I went back to the bleachers and sat back down. Coach Clapp finished handing out the uniforms right as the bell rang. Alice took her and Rose's uniforms and put them in their gym lockers while Rose stayed with me. Once she got back, we went out to wait for Emmett. About a minute later, he came running up to me. He pulled me into his arms and I started to cry. It was so much harder than I thought it was going to be.

"Hey, it's ok, B. What's wrong?" whispered Emmett.

"It's just so hard," I cried. "I didn't think it would be this hard."

"It will get easier," he promised. "How was the rest of Gym?"

"It was ok. Coach Clapp made it clear to everyone that B, along with Alice and I are not to be messed with or touched inside the gym or outside of it. B, almost had a melt down when he tried to give her a uniform but I explained that she doesn't like to wear shorts. He said she could bring some sweats and a long sleeve t-shirt from home. He asked if Alice and I will find her some place private to change," explained Rose as we walked toward my next class.

"Thanks, Rosie," whispered Emmett.

"Just taking care of my sister. Em, make sure Mrs. Goff signs her slip," said Rose. "We'll see you later, B."

"Bye, Rosie, Ali," I whispered as Emmett led me into the class. We went up to Mrs. Goff and Emmett gave her my slip. She read it quickly and signed it.

"Welcome to my class, Bella," she said, softly. "Please pick any seat you want."

"Thanks, Mrs. Goff," said Emmett.

Emmett took me to the back of the classroom. Just like Edward and Jasper did, he let me sit in the corner so I was partially hidden from everyone. Ben was in this class with us. He came over and sat in front of me, giving me a soft smile before he faced the front. I always liked Ben when we were little. He and Angela have been best friends since the day we started kindergarten. We used to invite them over to play with us but they were pretty shy. As the other student's walked into the classroom, they all looked at me and whispered to each other. Emmett just rubbed my back to help me relax. Mrs. Goff cleared her throat and they all turned and looked back at her.

"Welcome to Spanish II, I am Mrs. Goff for those who don't know me. This year we will be delving into Spanish culture. We will be working in groups of three on a project due in two weeks. I will leave it up to you and your group to decide what you want to do. Emmett, is there anyone you and Bella would like to be grouped with?"

"B, how about Ben?" whispered Emmett.

"Ok," I barely whispered.

"We will work with Ben if that is ok with him," said Emmett.

"That would be cool," said Ben, smiling as he looked back at us.

"Good."

Mrs. Goff quickly pair the other kids in the class and told us to talk quietly with our partners. Ben turned his chair so he was facing us.

"So what should we do?" whispered Ben.

"What …what if…" I whispered softly. I took a deep breath. "What if we m…made a full Spanish meal for everyone?"

"That's a good idea, Bella," whispered Ben.

"What all is involved in that?" asked Emmett.

"I'm not sure," said Ben.

"Usually there…there are seven courses," I whispered. "They do desert first, then an appetizer, the salad, the soup, the bring the main dish in three parts."

"Bella, that is right. How did you know that?" asked Mrs. Goff coming to stand behind Ben.

"I…I…" I said as I felt the panic rise.

"Deep breath, B," whispered Emmett. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to push back the panic.

"I…I…used to…read a lot," I whispered.

"Did you enjoy reading books about Spanish culture?" she asked softly.

"Y…yes," I whispered. "I read everything I could."

"Well, I have some books that might interest you if you would like to borrow them," she offered.

"That…that would be nice," I barely whispered. "Um, thank you."

"Anytime dear," she said as the bell rang. "Class, please think about your projects. I would like for you to have an idea of what you are going to do by Friday. Enjoy your lunch."

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	16. Chapter 16

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

Mrs. Goff handed me a book on Spanish cooking before we left her classroom. Ben told us he would see us later and headed down the hall to meet up with Angela. I watched as he swooped her into his arms and placed a kiss on her lips. They were so sweet together. Emmett led me down to the cafeteria to meet up with the others. We stopped by our lockers so we could put our bags up. As soon as we stepped in, everyone stopped talking and stared at me. I turned to leave but Emmett stopped me, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me closer to him.

"What are you all looking at?" he yelled.

"Em," I whispered softly.

"Stop looking at her," yelled Emmett.

"Aw, is the poor freak afraid of her shadow?" snickered Lauren as she and Jessica came up to me.

"Get away from her," growled Emmett, trying to pull me behind him.

"No, I don't think so," snickered Jessica as she and Lauren grabbed my arms.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed as they pushed me backwards. I fell back into the glass doors. The glass shattered and I felt it cut my arms and back as I hit the ground. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH"

"OH MY GOD!" screamed Emmett. "EDWARD CALL 911."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO, I NEEED CARLISLE," I screamed. "PLEASE DON'T LET THEM TOUCH ME."

Alice, Rose and Jasper came over and started pressing down on my cuts. I heard everyone in the cafeteria screaming and crying. I felt my entire body shake. I couldn't stop the sobs as the pain exploded from my cuts.

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?" bellowed Emmett at Lauren and Jessica. "DID YOU GET YOUR SICK FUCKING THRILL AT HURTING HER? HASN'T SHE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH?"

"WHY CAN'T YOU BOTH LEAVE HER ALONE?" screamed Alice.

"We…we…" mumbled Jessica.

"TOO MUCH PAIN. MAKE IT STOP!" I screamed as I writhed around on the floor. I barely heard Edward on his phone. "NO MORE, PLEASE I CAN'T TAKE IT. YOU'RE KILLING ME. PLEASE STOP. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO."

"Dad, Bella needs you at school now," said Edward. "She got thrown through the glass doors of the cafeteria…ok, we won't. Bye."

"STOP, PLEASE STOP!" I screamed as I thrashed around on the floor. Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice pushed me down so I would stop moving.

"Emmett, what happened?" asked Mr. Stevens as he came running into the cafeteria.

"Carlisle said not to move her. He said he is bring an ambulance," said Edward as he kneeled down next to me.

"SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!" I screamed. Edward leaned down and began whispering into my ear.

"I'm here, love," he whispered just loud enough for me to hear. He placed his hand on my cheek, stroking me gently but all I could feel was the pain once again.

"What happened?" asked Mr. Stevens again.

"Lauren and Jessica came up to her and grabbed her arms. When she screamed, they pushed her into the door. The glass shattered and now she is hurt," snapped Emmett. I screamed again as I felt the glass digging into my back again.

"Coach Clapp, please escort them both to my office now. I will be down as soon as we get Bella taken care of," growled Mr. Stevens. "Boys and Girls, please take your lunches out to the quad."

All I could do was scream over and over. It was like I was back in that room with him. I wanted it all to stop. I heard the ambulance come up to the school. A few moments later, Carlisle came running into the cafeteria with Charlie and Renee on his heels. He came over and knelt down next to me.

"Carlisle, help me, please," I sobbed, begging him to help me.

"I've got you, Bella. It's ok," he said, smoothly. "I need to put you on the stretcher so we can take you to the hospital."

"NOOOOOO, DON'T TIE ME DOWN AGAIN," I screamed as I tried to get away.

"Bella, calm down. We aren't going to tie you down. I just need you to lay down. Edward will be with us the entire time," said Carlisle.

"You promise?" I whimpered softly.

"I promise," he whispered.

"Ok," I whispered through my tears.

"Charlie, Renee, Emmett, we will meet you at the ER," said Carlisle.

Edward gently lifted me up. I heard everyone gasp as they saw the blood on my shirt. He laid me on my stomach on the stretcher, holding on to my hand as the EMT's wheeled me out to the ambulance. They lifted me into it while Carlisle and Edward climbed in with me.

"Bella, did you hit your head?" asked Carlisle as he took my pulse.

"No," I whispered.

"Ok," he muttered.

A few minutes later, we pulled up to the hospital. Carlisle and Edward held my hands as they unloaded me and pushed me into the ER. They took me straight back to a private room and the EMT's left, neither one of them saying anything. A few moments later Charlie, Renee and Emmett came running in.

"Is she ok?" asked Renee.

"I don't know," said Carlisle. "Bella, sweetheart, I need to take your shirt off so I can look at your cuts."

"NOOOOOO. YOU CAN'T SEE THEM," I screamed as I tried to scramble off the bed. "MOMMY, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. HELP ME, PLEASE!"

"Bella, shh, it's ok. I will be right here," said Renee, grabbing my hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Please don't leave me," I cried.

"I'm not going to," she said. I heard Charlie, Emmett and Edward leave. "Baby, you have to let him see."

"I…I…ok," I whispered through my sobs.

I felt Carlisle cut up the middle of my shirt and pull them away from my body. My entire body started to shake and I could feel my panic starting to rise. I had to remind myself that it was Carlisle and he would never hurt me.

"Oh my god," muttered Carlisle softly. "How could he do this to her?"

"My poor baby," cried Renee softly as she stroked my hair.

"Bella, I need to stitch these cuts up. Do you want me to numb it first?" asked Carlisle.

"No, please don't," I cried.

"Bella, are you sure? It's going to hurt," whispered Renee.

"Please don't drug me," I begged him. "Please, I'll be still, I promise to be still."

"Ok, sweetheart, I won't. I will try to be quick," he sighed.

Carlisle pulled the shirt off my arms. He had to unhook my bra to get those that were under it. He pulled the glass out and cleaned all fifteen cuts on my back and the seven that were on each arm. I laid there on the table and sobbed as he cleaned each wound. I could hear him and Renee crying with me. Once he was done cleaning, he told me he was going to start stitching them up. I tried not to scream but after the first ten stitches I couldn't stop. I screamed for the next two hours as Carlisle placed over a hundred stitches into my back and arms. He covered each cut with gauze. As I laid there on the table and crying and begging them to help me, I realized that they were trying but I wasn't letting them. They wanted to help me but I wasn't letting them in. If I wanted them to help me, I was going to have to tell them, all of them, what happened when I was in the dark. As Carlisle finished stitching up my back, he pulled off his button up shirt, handing it to Renee and left the room so she could help me put it on.

"Mom," I whispered softly. "I'm ready to tell what happened."

"Baby, are you sure?" she asked. "We will wait until you are ready."

"Yes, I am done trying to be brave. I can't do it anymore. I need to talk about it." I cried.

"Ok, Baby. When we get home you, me, Dad and Emmett can sit down and talk, ok?" she whispered.

"I want everyone to be there," I said as she buttoned the last button on the shirt. Carlisle knocked on the door.

"Come in," sighed Renee. Carlisle opened the door and walked in.

"Bella, you ready to go home?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes," I said softly. "Carlisle, I…I'm ready to tell everyone what happened. Can….can you please call Esme, Will and Cat to come over?"

"Sweetheart, are you sure?" asked Carlisle. "We don't want to rush you."

"Yes, I can't do this by myself any longer. It's not fair to ask you all to help me without you knowing exactly what I went through. I feel like I am going to explode. I need help," I muttered as the tears poured down my face.

"Ok, Bella," said Carlisle. "I will tell them to be there in an hour."

"Carlisle?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Thanks for helping me today. I couldn't trust anyone else to take care of my cuts," I whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," whispered Carlisle, clearing his throat. "Now go rest."

Carlisle gave me my discharge papers. He told me to take some Tylenol if the pain got to bad. He gave us some extra gauze for the cuts and told me not to get the stitches wet for a few days. We went out to the waiting room and found Charlie, Emmett, Edward, Jasper, Alice and Rose waiting for us with Mr. Stevens. They all looked up at me when they saw me coming back out.

"Mr. Stevens, what are you doing here?" I asked softly. He looked a little take back when I spoke to him.

"Please call me Eleazar. I just wanted to check on you. Are you ok?" he asked softly.

"No," I whispered. "Thank you for helping me today."

"Bella, would you mind if I told you a little story?" he asked.

"I guess not," I muttered as I sat down next to him.

"Fifteen years ago, my daughter was kidnapped from a local park in California where my wife, Carmen, and I were living. Amanda was seven years old. She was the sweetest, most loveable little girl. She was so full of life. She wanted to be dancer when she grew up. For three months, we looked for her. The police had no leads. It was like she just vanished into thin air. Then one day we got the call. The call that no parent wants to ever get. They found her body in the mountains of Colorado. Who ever took her, buried her in the snow. They told us she had been dead a week when they found her. She had been through a lot of pain before her death. I am sure you can guess what all she went through. Bella, I am telling you this so you know that you are not alone. You have to keep fighting for all those children who didn't win. You have to fight for my Amanda," said Eleazar. He had tears swimming in his eyes.

"I am sorry about your daughter. I can tell you love her very much," I whispered as I reached out and squeezed his hand. "She would be proud of you for everything you have done."

"Thank you, Bella," he whispered through his tears.

"What is going to happen to Lauren and Jessica?" I asked softly.

"They were arrested. It is up to you and your parents on if you want to press charges but they will be expelled from school."

"I don't want to press charges," I whispered. "They aren't worth it."

"Bella, they have to be held accountable for their actions," said Charlie, kneeling down in from of me.

"I know, but I…" I trailed off as I tried to collect my thoughts. "I just don't want to."

"Ok, we won't decide on anything right now," he said. "We'll think about it."

"Ok," I muttered.

"I will see you when you come back to school, Bella," said Eleazar, standing up.

"Thank you again," I whispered.

We loaded up in our cars and headed back home. I sat in the back seat while Renee told Charlie and Emmett about me telling the others. I reassured them that I was ready. Once we got home, we only had about half an hour before the others got there. Emmett and I went to the back yard with the others, I laid on my stomach in the hammock while they all sat on the ground. We didn't need to speak. I knew Emmett and Edward were worried about me telling everyone but I knew I was ready. I was tired of being the freak. I wanted my life back. I fought hard to survive it all. We were just laying there when the back door opened and Renee stepped out.

"Bella, they are here."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know what you are thinking. The mob to hunt down Lauren and Jessica will be forming at dawn. Coming up next: Carlisle's POV of the day.**


	17. Chapter 17

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

CPOV

I was sitting in the Charlie and Renee's small coffee shop. Charlie and Renee were worried about Bella's first day back in school and I was doing everything I could to help them stay relaxed but, honestly I was, too. Bella put on a brave face but we could all see the pain she was in. If she didn't let it out soon, she was going to have a major breakdown. My cell phone started vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that it was Edward.

"Edward?" I asked, pulling the phone up to my ear. I could hear Bella screaming in the background.

"Dad, Bella needs you at school now," said Edward.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I jumped up. I motioned for Charlie and Renee to follow me.

"She got thrown through the glass doors of the cafeteria."

"What? I will be right there with an ambulance. Do not move her."

"Ok, we won't. Bye."

I quickly closed my phone before opening it again.

"This is Dr. Cullen. I need an ambulance to meet me at Forks High School now," I ordered before I closed my phone. I looked back at Charlie and Renee. "Bella got hurt at school. She somehow got thrown through the glass doors of the cafeteria. We need to go now."

"What?" bellowed Charlie.

"How did that happen?" asked Renee.

"I don't know," I muttered.

We ran outside and jumped in the car and drove to the school. We pulled up at the same time as the ambulance. We jumped up and ran over to them. I stopped the EMT's before they went inside.

"You are not to touch her at all."

"What?" they asked.

"She is victim of extreme physical violence at the hands of her kidnapper. You are not to touch her."

"Yes sir," they both said.

We turned and ran into the cafeteria. I found Bella laying in the middle of millions of pieces of glass. I could see the puddle of blood that had formed under her. Edward was leaning down whispering into her ear as she screamed. She looked up and saw us coming.

"Carlisle, help me, please," she begged, sobbing uncontrollably on the floor.

"I've got you, Bella. It's ok," I said, trying to sooth her. "I need to put you on the stretcher so we can take you to the hospital."

"NOOOOOO, DON'T TIE ME DOWN AGAIN!" She screamed as she tried to get away.

"Bella, calm down. We aren't going to tie you down. I just need you to lay down. Edward will be with us the entire time," I said softly.

"You promise?" she whimpered softly.

"I promise," I whispered.

"Ok," she whispered through her tears.

"Charlie, Renee, Emmett, we will meet you at the ER," I said throwing them my keys.

Edward gently lifted her up. We all gasp as when saw the blood on her shirt. He laid her on her stomach on the stretcher. Edward held on to her hand as the EMT's wheeled her out to the ambulance. They lifted Bella into it while Edward and I climbed in with her.

"Bella, did you hit your head?" I asked as I took her pulse.

"No."

"Ok."

A few minutes later, we pulled up to the hospital. Edward and I held her hands as the EMT's unloaded Bella and pushed her into the ER. They took her straight back to a private room. All the nurses and doctors stopped to stare at her. I glared at them until they went back to work. The EMT's left, clamping their mouths shut. I knew both men were struggling with the horrific nature of Bella's injuries, old and new. A few moments later, Charlie, Renee and Emmett came running in.

"Is she ok?" asked Renee.

"I don't know," I said. "Bella, sweetheart, I need to take your shirt off so I can look at your cuts."

"NOOOOOO. YOU CAN'T SEE THEM!" Bella screamed as she tried to scramble off the bed. "MOMMY, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. HELP ME, PLEASE."

"Bella, shh, it's ok. I will be right here," whispered Renee, clutching onto Bella's hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Please don't leave me," she cried. I felt my eyes fill with tears as I watched her cry.

"I'm not going to." Renee whispered. I heard Charlie, Emmett and Edward leave. "Baby, you have to let him see."

"I…I…ok," she whispered through her sobs.

I felt her body start to shake as I slowly cut up the middle of her shirt. I pulled the sides apart and felt the air leave my body. Every inch of her back was covered in scars. Some of them were from whips. I saw burn marks, knife wounds. How did she survive six years of this? In all my years as a doctor, I have never seen someone with so many scars.

"Oh my god," I muttered, tasting the bile rise in my throat. "How could he do this to her?"

"My poor baby," whispered Renee softly as she stroked Bella's hair.

I examined the cuts. They would all need stitches but they wouldn't cause any permanent damage. Most of the cuts where on old scars.

"Bella, I need to stitch these cuts up. Do you want me to numb it first?" I asked.

"No, please don't," she cried.

"Bella, are you sure? It's going to hurt," muttered Renee.

"Please don't drug me," she begged me. "Please, I'll be still, I promise to be still."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Ok, sweetheart, I won't. I will try to be quick," I sighed.

I pulled the shirt off her arms. I had to unhook her bra to get those that were under it. I started pulling the glass out, trying to be as gentle as I could, and cleaned all fifteen cuts on her back and the seven that were on each of her arms. Her tiny arms were covered with scars that were similar to those on her back. I suspected that her front has just as many scars. She laid there on the table and sobbed as I cleaned each wound. I couldn't stop myself from crying with Bella. I loved her as if she were my own daughter.

Once I was done cleaning, I told her that I was going to start stitching them up. I tried to be gentle so that she wouldn't hurt as much but I barely done ten stitches before she started screaming. She screamed for the next two hours as I placed over a hundred stitches into her back and arms. I covered each cut with gauze. I pulled off my button up shirt, leaving on my undershirt, and left the room so Renee could help her put it on.

I stepped out into the hall and slid to the floor and let my tears flow. That poor girl has been through so much. I knew it was bad but I didn't think her poor body had been abused that much. No wonder she didn't want to tell anybody what had happened to her. She knew it was going to hurt us all to know how much she fought through. Bella had always been tough but she was so much stronger than I ever thought possible. How could one person go through all that and live? I knew a few detail of her time with him. I knew that he barely fed her enough to keep her alive. We knew she had been beaten and raped but it looked like someone had tortured her.

It was hard on all of us when Bella went missing. She was always the peacemaker, the glue that held everyone together. She would get Edward to do things I never would have thought possible. She had a power over him that I was jealous of. Esme and I love all them like they are ours but Bella was special. She would come over and read my medical books while I went through my notes. She was the smartest child I had ever meet. She could have skipped several grades but Charlie and Renee didn't want to separate her from the others. They saw how much they needed her. When she was taken, I saw the light shut off in all of us. Even Will and Cat, were hit hard by it all. For years we barely existed. Every one of their birthdays went by uncelebrated. We couldn't celebrate without Bella, it didn't feel right. The kids cried for months after she was gone.

When she finally came home, I saw them all start to live again. It was hard to see the carefree Bella gone. She was replaced by timid, afraid Bella, who flinched at the smallest noises. The old Bella would jump into my arms and hug me as soon as I walked in the door. The new Bella was afraid to let anyone other than the kids near her. Over the last couple days I noticed her loosing up a little. I saw her with Edward and I saw the old Bella coming back. I only prayed that this wouldn't set her back. I stood back up, wiped the tears off my face, and knocked on the door slowly.

"Come in," said Renee. I opened the door and walked in.

"Bella, you ready to go home?" I asked.

"Yes." she said softly. "Carlisle, I….I'm ready to tell everyone what happened. Can….can you please call Esme, Will and Cat to come over?"

"Sweetheart, are you sure?" I asked. "We don't want to rush you."

"Yes, I can't do this by myself any longer. It's not fair to ask you all to help me without you knowing exactly what I went through. I feel like I am going to explode. I need help," she said as the tears poured down her face. I could see how important this was for her.

"Ok, Bella," I said. "I will tell them to be there in an hour."

"Carlisle?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Thanks for helping me today. I couldn't trust anyone else to take care of my cuts," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you to, sweetheart," I whispered, clearing my throat. "Now go rest."

I gave Bella her discharge papers. I told her to take some Tylenol if the pain got too bad. I gave them some extra gauze for the cuts and told her not to get the stitches wet for a few days. Renee and Bella left and I sat down on the table, pulling out my cell phone and called Esme.

"Hello."

"Esme, call Will and Cat and have them meet us at our house. I'll be home in a few minutes."

"Carlisle, is everything ok?" asked Esme.

"I don't know," I muttered. "I love you."

"I love you too, my darling. Hurry home," she said.

I jumped off the table and left through the ambulance bay. I quickly found my car and drove home. I saw Will and Cat's car in their drive way. I quickly parked and ran into the house. They were sitting in the living room waiting for me. They saw me come in and gasped when they looked at me. I looked down and realized I had Bella's blood on my shirt.

Like a damn had busted, I fell to my knees and started to sob. I felt Esme come over and wrap her arms around me. "Carlisle, what's wrong?" she asked frantically.

"Bella got hurt at school today. Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley grabbed her arms at lunch and pushed her into the glass doors in the cafeteria. Edward called me to come help. I was with Charlie and Renee so we hurried over after I called an ambulance," I explained as I stood up and walked over to the couch. "When we go to the school, she was sobbing and screaming uncontrollably. She was laying in a pile of broken glass. There was so much blood, so much fucking blood. She begged me to help her. Once we were at the hospital, I needed to take her shirt off so I could look at her cuts. She begged me not to. She called Renee, mommy and begged her not to leave her. It broke my heart. She finally agreed to let me cut her shirt off. Esme, her back…"

"What?" she whispered through her tears.

"Her back and arms are covered in scars. That fucking son of a bitch tortured her. She lived in hell," I whispered. "Worse than hell."

"Poor Bella," muttered Cat.

"I pulled the glass out of the wounds and cleaned them. She refused to let me numb the cuts. She begged me not to drug her," I said as my tears fell again. "She laid on that table for two hours and screamed as I stitched up her back. She had fifteen cuts on her back and seven on each arm. It took more than a hundred stitches. After I covered her cuts, I pulled off my button up and gave it to her to put on. I walked out and sobbed like a baby."

"How did she live six years like that?" whispered Will.

"I don't know. She is so much stronger than the rest of us," I whispered. "She said she is ready to tell us what happened. She wants us all there."

"When?" asked Esme.

"Now," I said. "Let me go change."

I ran up stairs and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, tossing my bloodied clothes in the trash. I never wanted to look at them again. I ran back down the stairs and the four of us walked next door. Renee pulled the open the door and waved us all in but didn't say anything. Charlie was sitting in the living room staring off into space. Renee walked to the back door and opened it.

"Bella, they are here."

Belle, Edward, Emmett, Alice, Rose, and Jasper came into the house a few minutes later. Bella settled on the couch with everyone, nestling herself into my sons arms and started her story. I knew when I saw the scars on her back that it was bad but I never thought it was as bad as she was telling us. He would torture her for his enjoyment. What kind of sick fucker enjoys hurting a sweet little girl like Bella. When she sat there and told us how he threatened to come back and get Edward and the others, I nearly lost it. It took all of my control not to slam my fist into the wall and scream. He used them against her. He was truly evil bastard. Bella was going to have a long road ahead of her. I knew I had to get him here now. They weren't going to be happy with what I was going to do to Bella but it's the only way to help her. I just hoped she would forgive me one day.

RENPOV

I sat there listening to my baby tell us how that bastard tortured her, beat her, raped her. I wanted to scream and yell at someone. I wanted someone to pay for hurting my baby like that. She didn't deserve to be treated like that. I sat there and sobbed when she told us about the threats he made to come get the other children. I sobbed harder when she told us how he whored her out to other men. How did my daughter survive six year living in hell? I wondered if there was something I could have done to protect Bella from this monster. I shouldn't have let her go to the library by herself. I can't believe he watcher her for so long. How did we not see him?

We never gave up when she was gone. The day that she went off alone, I had this feeling that I shouldn't let her. She and Edward had a fight about one of her books. She was so pissed off. She went stomping out of the house to the library. I almost told her to stay home but I knew she would just get madder so I let her go. When she didn't come home after an hour, I called the library. They said she had never shown up. I knew that something was wrong. I called Charlie. He tried to tell me that she probably wondered into the woods but I knew he didn't believe his story any more than I did. Then he came walking into the house with a lost look on his face. He told me about Billy Black seeing her get kidnapped. I felt my heart get ripped into two pieces. After a few months, the police and the FBI all told us that she was dead but I could feel her. I knew my baby was alive. Day after day, week after week, month after month, we prayed that she would come home to us. But I look at my beautiful, strong, daughter and I know that she isn't here. The Bella sitting across from me, is broke and in pain. I don't know how to help her.

CHPOV

Fucking bastard dared to put his hands on my baby girl. I wanted to dig his body up and beat the fucking shit out of him. I wanted to lock him up and do every fucking thing that he did to him. I knew I failed to protect my girl when she was little. I couldn't stop the sobs that escaped my lips when I heard how much he had hurt her. She was so brave to keep that hell to herself. I hoped we could help her. I wanted my Bella back. I should have been able to save her from going through this. What kind of a father was I? Everyday that she was gone, I felt like my heart was missing. How will I ever be able to help her?

When I realized that something was wrong, when Bella didn't come home, I didn't want to believe what my heart was telling me. I hoped that she had just wondered off into the woods but I knew she hadn't. Bella knew better than to go into the woods alone. The search party was looking in the woods anyway, when I got the call over my radio. Billy Black had seen my Bella being pulled into a black car. I ran as quickly as I could down to the police station. Billy was sitting there crying. I grabbed him and yelled at him to tell me what he saw. He said he saw Bella walking down the street when a car pulled up. A man jumped out and grabbed her and threw her into the car. He said he jumped out of his shitty truck and ran toward the car to help her but the man took off. Billy jumped into his shitty truck and tried to follow her but his truck was slow. I screamed at him that it was his fault even though I knew it wasn't. For the five years and nine months, I prayed that my Bella would come home. The only problem was, this wasn't my Bella and I didn't know how to help her.

ESPOV

My poor sweet, Bella. She was so broken. That monster hurt her so bad. I wanted to go wrap my arms around her little body and take away all the pain but I knew I couldn't do that. She was barely hanging on as it was and I wasn't going to make it any harder on her. She needed us to stay strong for her. She was going to need us to love her and help her heal. I watched as she spoke. Edward would whisper softly in her ear. He would kiss her hand and hum to her. Every time she began to tense up, he would get her to relax. I only hope we can save her because she needed help.

WPOV

I had never been as pissed off as I was in this moment. What made that piece of trash think he could touch Bella like that? She was a little girl. She wasn't even a teenager when he first put his hands on her. How did she stay strong through all of that? She has always been the toughest of all the kids, except maybe my Rose, but she was the glue that kept them together. What do you do when the glue is broken? I only hope they can help her some how but I have to get Rose and Jasper away from her before she hurts them. I have to protect my kids.

CATPOV

That poor girl. She lived through a living hell and somehow found the strength to fight back everyday. I don't know how she didn't give up. She sat there and told us about almost six years of living through more pain that any of us will ever know in our entire lives. I hope they can help her somehow learn to live again. She was so brave but she was a loose cannon. I couldn't let my babies be around her any longer. One day they would understand why they can't be around Bella anymore.

JPOV

Growing up with the others was a blast. Bella was always the one who kept us from fighting. She was the peacemaker. Emmett got us in the most trouble. Edward worried the most. Rose usually egged Emmett on. Alice usually was our little cheerleader and I usually followed along. When Bella was taken, we fell apart. We still clung to each other but it was almost like there was this empty space in our circle. No matter how hard we tried we couldn't make the circle fit together.

The five and a half years that Bella was gone were like living in a nightmare. None of us were ever truly happy. Not a day went by that we didn't talk about her or tell a story about some crazy thing she talked us into doing. She was our missing link. The kids at school didn't understand that the six of us were a family. With Bella gone, a part of us was gone.

I knew when Bella came home a few days ago that she had been through more than we thought. We knew she had been abused physically and sexually but I never thought about what she was sitting here telling us. What kind of sick fucker whips an innocent twelve year old girl? Or chokes her while he rapes her? What kind of man takes away her chance of having a child? I pulled Alice into my arms as we both sobbed for our sister. She was hurting and we were going to help her heal. That is what a family does. We would not give up on our sister now.

APOV

Poor, sweet, Bella. I couldn't stop the sobs that took over my body as Jasper pulled me into his arms and held me. I could feel his body shake as we cried together. My sister had gone through a living hell and I had no clue how to help her.

For as long as I can remember Bella has always had a smile on her beautiful face. She so carefree and loving to everyone. She would talk us into doing the craziest things, like opening a lemonade stand but refusing to accept anyone's money. I think some part of Bella always thought that we were better than her. She never did see herself the way we did. The rest of us had to work ten times as hard in school where as Bella was usually done in about five minutes. She would always help us finish so we could go play.

When she was gone, it tore us apart. We didn't know how to live without Bella. We got into fights, our grades dropped. We stopped living. I don't think we started living again until the day she came stumbling into this house again. The first time I saw her, I wanted to wrap my arms around her. She looked so lost. She was so jumpy. We tried not to notice when she flinched but it was hard not to. She was so tiny.

As I sit here in Jasper's arms, listening to the hell my sister went through, I can't help but be thankful that it wasn't me. I don't think I could ever be as brave as Bella. I don't think I could keep fighting the way she did. She was my hero and I was going to do anything I could to help her.

RPOV

_GODDAMN, MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH_, I screamed inside of my head. I wanted to find this fucker and dig his ashes up and kill him again. He broke my sister. I knew it was bad. Emmett and I had talked a little about what she had been through. He never went into details but he told me that she had been beaten and raped everyday.

Of course I wasn't prepared to hear how he choked her, whipped her, burned her, pissed on her. What kind of sick motherfucker enjoys pissing on a little girl? I wasn't prepared to hear how he threatened to make her watch him kill us. I wasn't prepared to hear her say that she stopped fighting to save us. She was always the one willing to put us first. She often took the blame for us when we did something wrong so we wouldn't get in trouble.

Growing up with the others was like living in neverland. Every day was a new adventure. One day it might be making the boys paint our nails and the next day might be playing GI Joe with the boys. Bella usually led us through our many adventures. Edward was usually the sourpuss of the group but all she had to do is say please and he would hop to it. He loved her even then. When Bella was gone, our light was gone.

We may not have literally lived in the darkness, like Bella had, but with her gone we had no one to lead us. We were lost with out her. We put on a good mask and pretended that everything was ok. We eventually started going to parties but we would just sit there. We never had any fun. The only time I can honestly say I felt better at all was when I played my guitar. I could throw all my anger in my music. Alice, Angela and I eventually formed our little angry girl band. It was the only time I could escape the pain from losing Bella. Then Emmett called us.

They had found Bella. She was alive but not healthy. For two months, Emmett would call and cry to me on the phone. I wished every night that I could be there to wrap my arms around them both and make it better. When he finally told me he was bringing her home, I felt excited for the first time in a long time. When Bella came walking into this house three days ago, I couldn't stop my tears from falling. She looked so sad and weak as she clung desperately to Emmett. She was jumpy and nervous. I knew then that it was going to take all of us to fix her. After sitting her listening to everything that motherfucker did to her, just confirms to me that Bella is going to need us all. I looked around at Edward, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper. We would do whatever we had to help Bella get through this. That's what family does.


	18. Chapter 18

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

BPOV

As I sat in Edward's embrace and told my family everything, I saw the pain and despair fill all of their faces. They sat wrapped in the arms of their loved ones, crying as quietly as they could. Charlie and Renee had fallen to the ground and were sobbing into each other. I slowly pulled out of Edward's arms and knelt down next to my parents. I took a deep breath as I wrapped my arms around them as I tried to hide the pain from lifting my cut up arms.

"Mom? Dad?" I whispered softly. They both turned and looked at me.

"Baby, I am so sorry I couldn't protect you," cried Charlie.

"Dad, it's not your fault," I said, softly. "I was afraid that if I told you everything that you would be mad at me for not fighting hard enough. I didn't want to hurt you but I realized today while Carlisle was stitching me up that I am causing you more pain by not telling you."

"Bella, we could never be mad at you for not fighting. Baby, you fought harder than I think any of us could," said Renee.

"Sweetheart, you are so much stronger than you think you are. You fought him and survived," said Esme. I reached out and grabbed her hand.

"I know that but I wanted to die so many times. The night he held the gun to my head the only reason I told him I didn't want to die was because I didn't want him to win. I begged God to kill me everyday," I whispered as my tears fell.

"Bella, after what you have been through, that is normal but now you have to live. You can't let him win now by retreating back in the darkness, sweetheart," said Carlisle.

"I don't know how," I muttered. "I feel so afraid all the time. Every time I close my eyes, he is there watching me, haunting me. He won't leave me alone."

"Bella, he isn't here. He is a piled of ashes six feet under," said Rose.

"I know that," I sighed. "But he is still inside my head. When I get too close to someone, besides you all, I feel like his hands are on me. I want to claw my way through my skin to get him off of me."

"B, what makes us different than other people?" asked Alice.

"I trust you. I know that you aren't going to hurt me," I explained.

"Then you need to draw on those feeling when you get scared," said Alice.

"How?" I asked. "I don't know how."

"Bella, maybe you should talk to someone," suggested Esme.

"I can't," I cried as I began to shake. "I can't…please not yet."

"B, it's ok," whispered Edward as he pulled me back into his arms, being as careful as he could with my cuts. I automatically relaxed.

"Bella, I think you should look into meditation," said Carlisle. "It could help you learn to relax and deal with your anxiety without needing medication. It might even help you sleep."

"Could you …help me?" I whispered softly.

"Of course I will," he smiled. "Now, you need to get some rest. I think you should stay home from school for the rest of the week."

"Please let me go," I begged. "I can't be locked away again. Please?"

"Bella, are you sure?" asked Emmett, warily. "Today was really hard."

"If I don't go then I am letting Lauren and Jessica win. I am letting him win by locking me away from everyone again. I can't do that."

"Ok, Bella, you can go but I want you to try to get a good nights sleep," sighed Carlisle.

"Can…can E please stay with me again tonight?" I begged my parents. "Please? I slept good with him last night."

"Of course he can," smiled Charlie.

"B, I am going to run home and get some clothes for school and some pajamas. I'll be right back, love," he whispered softly.

"Ok, E," I whispered. Edward left and I turned to walk upstairs. I stopped and looked back at everyone. "Thank you for listening. It's nice to have my family back."

I turned and slowly made my way upstairs. I pulled off my clothes and pulled on some pajamas, wincing from the pain. I sat on my bed with my knees pulled up to my chest and waited until Edward got here. My first day of school in six years didn't go nearly as well as I wanted it to. The entire morning was one panic attack after another. I was embarrassed that I let them see my pain but I also knew that if I didn't go back tomorrow then I was letting them win.

As soon as I felt my arms and back get cut, I knew that I needed Carlisle. He was always the one when I was little that patched up my many cuts and scrapes. Of course, back then he could just slap a bandage on it and kiss it to make it felt better. He couldn't do that this time. My cuts reached my soul. I was broken and I didn't how to fix myself. I knew that I needed to find someone I could talk to but I couldn't help but feel afraid to let it all out to a stranger. It was one thing to tell your deepest shame to those who love you but how do you tell that to a stranger?

The door to my room opened and Edward walked in wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt. He came over and pulled me into his lap. I nestled my head into his neck and sighed softly. Being in Edward's arms made me feel safe and secure.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I don't know," I murmured, bringing my hand up and fisting the top of his t-shirt in my hand.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you told them," he said, softly. "I know it was hard for you to tell them everything, to see how they reacted. You took a huge chance and I'm proud of you for doing that."

"I was so scared," I muttered. "I still am."

"I know but we will take it one day at a time," murmured Edward, pressing his lips to the side of my head. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered, yawning.

Edward stood up and helped me laid on the bed so that I was on my stomach. He climbed on next to me and I shifted over, laying my head on his chest. He brought his hand up to my hair and started running his fingers through my brown locks. Slowly, my eyelids dropped and I slipped into a peaceful nights sleep.

EMPOV.

"Ok, E," Bella whispered. Edward left and Bella turned to walk upstairs. She stopped and looked back at us. "Thank you for listening. It's nice to have my family back."

Bella turned and walked back up the stairs. A few minutes later Edward came back and went right up to her room. I knew it was hard on Charlie and Renee to let him stay with her but she needed him. They would do anything for her. I turned back and sighed as I faced them. Now they understood why she had been so determined not to tell them the hell that bastard had put her through.

"Emmett, how did you deal with knowing that for two months alone?" asked Charlie.

"It was really hard. I have never felt as angry as I did when she told me everything. Once she fell asleep, I fell to my knees and cried like a baby," I admitted. "She is so strong and she doesn't even see herself like that."

"I know now why she didn't want to tell us," muttered Renee. "When I saw her back at the hospital, I though I knew how bad it was. Nothing prepared me for what she said."

"She was trying to protect you. She felt like it would do you more good not to know," I said.

"What do we do now?" asked Jasper, looking around at all of us. "She needs our help. How do we help her?"

"Kids, you help her by doing what you are doing now. You keep treating her like nothing happened. You protect her at school, you make sure she is never alone. She is close to asking for help," explained Carlisle.

"Ok, Dad. I just hope she does soon," sighed Alice. "I hate seeing her so…scared all the time."

"She will, Ali. I think that is why she told us everything. She was testing the waters," said Rose.

"The important thing is that we make sure that she knows we are all here for her without making her feel uncomfortable, said Carlisle.

"Yeah, it's going to be a long road for Bella but I know she can do it." said Esme.

"Of course she can," I chuckled, standing up. "She made it through hell once. She'll do it again."

"This time she won't be alone," said Rose, slipping her hand into mine as she stood up.

"That's right," smiled Alice as she and Jasper stood up. "We'll do this together."

"Like we've done everything else," chuckled Jasper.

"Exactly," I said, nodding my head.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Keep them coming. **


	19. Chapter 19

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

BPOV

I woke up the next morning and thought I was going to die. I barely moved my arm when I felt every cut on my back and arms light up like they were on fire. I really tried not to let it out but I couldn't stop the small sob that escaped my mouth.

"Ahhhh," I cried out softly.

"Bella, what's wrong?" asked Edward, snapping his eyes open.

"My back and arms hurt," I whispered through my tears.

"Let me get you some Tylenol," said Edward.

"Nooooo," I cried softly.

"Bella, it isn't going to make you feel like the other drugs. It is only going to help with the pain," whispered Edward into my ear.

"You promise?" I asked.

"I promise, my love."

"Ok."

Edward got up and ran downstairs to the kitchen to get the Tylenol. A few minutes later he returned with Charlie and Renee following him. He gave me a couple Tylenol and a bottle of water. I sat up on the side of he bed and pulled my knees up to my chest. I swallowed the pills and drank the water.

"Bella, you ok?" asked Renee.

"Yes, Mom, I'm fine. The cuts just hurt a little," I muttered, softly.

"Do you want me to help you wash your hair like we would when you were little?" she asked softly.

"Spa treatment?" I asked with a small smile.

"Yes," she said as her smile grew.

"That would be nice. Will you use the good stuff like you used to?" I asked eagerly. She always saved the best shampoo for our 'spa' treatments.

"Of course I will," she chuckled.

"Lets go," I said as I scrambled off the bed. I pulled Renee over to the bathroom door before I stopped and looked back at Charlie and Edward, who were sitting on the bed laughing at us. "Dad, I don't know why you are laughing. You are the one who taught me how to paint my nails."

"Oh, Bella. I had to teach you before I would let you do mine," he chuckled.

"You always like the red nails," I murmured.

"Yes, I did," he said softly. "Edward and I will meet you ladies downstairs when you are done at the spa."

"Ok," I whispered as I pulled Renee into the bathroom.

She helped me pull my shirt off. She said she needed to replace a few of the gauze on some of the cuts. I bent over the side of the tub while she poured the hot water over my head. I sighed when I felt her fingers massaging the shampoo into my scalp. I swear Renee had magic fingers. After she shampooed and conditioned my hair, she wrapped a towel around my head and helped me sit up. She changed my bandages and helped me put on a bra and button up shirt. I pulled on a pair of jeans. I sat on a chair in the bathroom with my knees pulled up to my chest while Renee dried my hair and helped me with my make up. Once she was done, I held her hand while we went downstairs. Charlie, Edward and Emmett were eating breakfast in the kitchen. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and joined them at the table. We sat in silence before I decided to ask Charlie something I had been putting off for a couple days.

"D…Dad?" I said softly.

"What, sweetheart?" asked Charlie smiling when he heard me calling him dad.

"Will…will you teach me how to fight?" I whispered.

"What do you mean?" he asked. I noticed that everyone was staring at me.

"I…I want to learn how to defend myself against…" I said as I closed my eyes. I dug my nails into the palm of my hand hard as I took a deep breath. "I don't want to be a victim again."

"Baby, we won't let anyone hurt you," said Charlie.

"I know but you can't stop it if someone…" I trailed off. "I have to be able to protect myself. Please, Daddy?"

"Ok, Bella, as soon as Carlisle takes your stitches out, I will teach you self defense," said Charlie squeezing my hand softly.

"Thanks, Dad," I whispered.

We ate the rest of our breakfast in silence. I hugged my parents goodbye and followed Emmett and Edward out to Emmett's jeep. We climbed in and made our way to school in silence. I will admit that I was terrified about going back to school but I was afraid that if I didn't come back today then I never would. This was my way of fighting back. We parked next to Rose, Alice and Jasper. I noticed there were still a few reporters hanging around the front of the school behind the police barricade. I tensed slightly when they started taking my picture. Edward and Emmett just wrapped their arms around me and tried to keep me hidden. The six of us quietly made our way into the school and the main office. When we walked in, Mrs. Cope and Eleazar both looked up at us. Mrs. Cope's mouth fell open as she gasp.

"Bella, how are you feeling today?" asked Eleazar.

"I feel ok," I whispered softly, feeling uncomfortable with Mrs. Cope's eyes on me.

"Mrs. Cope, would you please get me twenty copies of this memo?" asked Eleazar.

"Yes, sir," she said as she took the paper from his hand and left the room.

"Is that better?" asked Eleazar.

"Yes, I don't like people staring at me," I said softly.

"Bella, I need to talk to you about what happened yesterday. Can we go sit in the conference room?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. We followed Eleazar into the room and took our seats at the table.

"Bella, I have had a lot of parents call after their children went home upset about how the morning went. I'm not talking just about the incident in the cafeteria either. They were concerned about their children's safety here at school."

"I can't stay, can I?" I asked as the tears fell from my eyes. "I have to go back home and be locked away again, don't I?"

"Bella, calm down," whispered Emmett, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Bella, you get to stay, sweetheart. I didn't think you were going to be coming back today so I scheduled an assembly for first period so that I can address the concerns of parents and the other students," said Eleazar.

"Oh," I whispered as I brought my knees to my chest.

"You don't have to go," he said softly. "You and others can stay here until it's over."

"Can…can I go?" I whispered.

"B, are you sure you want to?" asked Edward.

"Yes," I muttered through my tears. "I want to hear what they have to say."

"I know, B, but there are going to be a lot of people in the gym," said Edward.

"I can do it if you all are with me," I said through my tears. "Please."

"Ok, Bella, if you are sure," said Eleazar

The bell rang so the six of us followed Eleazar down to the gym. We stayed hidden by the door so nobody would stare at me. I didn't understand why they thought I would hurt the other kids. I saw Charlie, Renee, Carlisle, Esme, Will and Cat all sitting together. They looked like they were already crying. Eleazar picked up the microphone and walked out to the middle of the gym floor.

"Thank you for coming out today. I know many of you are concerned about the events of yesterday morning. It can be scary to see a fellow student hurting and afraid but it is important that you all give Bella the time and the space that she needs to heal. She has a long road before her. She needs your help. You can help her by leaving her alone," said Eleazar.

"What about our kids? Why do they have to be afraid to come to school?" shouted out a man.

"They have no reason to be afraid," said Eleazar.

"Austin came home talking about her screaming and throwing herself to the floor just because she didn't get her way. She threw a tantrum," said another man.

"No, she didn't. The teacher reached out and tried to grab her arm. Bella doesn't like to be touched," yelled Angela. "She curled herself up to protect herself."

"How can she attend a school with nearly three and fifty students and teachers if she won't let anyone near her?" asked a tall woman.

"Bella feels safe with the Edward and Alice Cullen and Rose and Jasper Hale as well as Emmett. They are helping her feel safe. Give her a chance to live her life. Trust me, she has earned it," said Charlie.

"They didn't help her yesterday when she got thrown through the glass, did they?" snapped the woman.

"Maybe if those two girls would have listened to us three days ago when they first started harassing Bella, she wouldn't have gotten hurt. Rose, Alice and I along with Emmett, Jasper, Ben and Edward, told them several times to leave Bella alone," snapped Angela.

"How are our kids supposed to be able to focus on their school work when they have to deal with her being afraid of her own shadow? What kind of parent's are you for not getting her some help?" snapped some man in the back.

I had enough of just listening. I pulled out of Edward's arms and walked out into the middle of the gym. Everyone gasped when they realized that I had heard everything they said. I went over and pulled the microphone from Eleazar's hands.

"No!" yelled Charlie, jumping out of the bleachers and running over to me. "Baby, you don't have to speak to them."

"Yes, I do, Daddy. I'm not telling them everything. I just need them to stop looking at me," I whispered. "Please, Daddy."

"Bella, are you sure?" asked Carlisle, coming over to us.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Let her do it, Charlie," said Carlisle, placing a hand on my father's shoulder. "This is part of her asking for help."

"Ok, Bella," whispered Charlie through his tears.

He and Carlisle moved so that they were standing on either side of me. I took a deep breath as I looked around at everyone. "Do you honestly think that they haven't tried to get me to talk to someone everyday for the last two months?" I asked "It's not as easy as you all think it is. You want me to feel sorry for the kids who are in my classes? What have they been through?"

"They suffered when you were gone, Bella," said the man in the back.

"How?" I asked.

"They didn't know what happened to you. They were afraid it could have been them," he said, harshly.

"OH POOR BABIES!" I screamed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You want me to feel bad that they had nightmares for a few weeks or maybe a month? I lived in hell everyday. Would you like me to tell you how he hurt me just to make me cry? How he got off on watching me beg him to stop cutting me? Do you want to see my scars? Trust me I have plenty of them. Maybe you want to hear how he told me he was going to bring your children to me so he could kill them in front of me? I stopped fighting him so he would spare your children because I didn't want them to go through what I did."

"We just want our kids to be safe. It isn't fair-" started the man

"IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR THAT I WAS ALONE IN THE DARKEST HELL YOU CAN IMAGINE! I JUST WANT TO BE NORMAL! I DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYMORE." I screamed. "I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD. I WAS A BABY AND HE STOLE ME AWAY. HE TOOK ME FROM MY FAMILY. NONE OF THIS IS FUCKING FAIR."

"B, that's enough," whispered Edward as he pulled me into his arms. "It's going to be ok. You are so strong, love."

"I just want my life back," I sobbed as I clutched to his shirt. "Please give me my life back."

"I am trying, love. I am trying," he sobbed with me. "I promise that one day you will have it back."

"Please don't leave me, Edward. I need you so much. I can't live without you," I sobbed.

"Never…going to…leave you," he choked out through his tears.

He carried me out into the hallway and sat on the floor with me in his lap. We sat on the floor of the hallway for a few minutes before I felt Carlisle come over and kneel next to us.

"Bella, are you ok?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I'm ok," I whispered softly. "I'm ok."

"Are you sure you want to stay at school?" he asked.

"Yes, I can't let him win by hiding in the dark any longer," I whispered.

"Ok, sweetheart," he said softly. "You had better go get cleaned up. They are coming out in a minute."

"Ok, thank you," I whispered softly.

Edward and I slowly got up off the floor. I noticed that Rose, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett had all been crying with us. I reached out and grabbed Rose and Alice's hands. We slowly walked into the ladies room and washed our faces.

"B?" whispered Rose softly.

"Yeah?"

"I think you are incredibly brave. I'm so proud of you," she cried. "I couldn't have done that."

"I was scared shitless out there. The only reason I was able to say anything is because I had you guys with me," I muttered.

"Bella, I don't know how you lived through it all. You are so much stronger than we are," mumbled Alice.

"Do you know how our parent's tell us that when we were born that we would cry when they took one of us away?" I asked softly.

"Yes, they said that until they brought the baby back that we would just keep crying," said Alice.

"I could feel you when I sat in the darkness. Sometimes, I would sit in the darkness and pretend that you were with me. You all would tell me stories about what you did at school or something that Em did to get in trouble. Sometimes, I could feel you wrap your arms around me and just hold me in the darkness. I couldn't let that go. It's all I had," I whispered as my tears fell again. "I love you all so much."

"We love you too," said Rose. "Sisters forever.

"And ever," I whispered softly.

"And ever," whispered Alice.

"Let's get to class," I whispered.

"Ok, B," they said together.

By the time Alice, Rose and I were done it was time for gym. So we walked in silence through the crowded hallway. I noticed that a lot of the students had been crying. A few of them were struggling not to stare at me. I knew they were just worried about me but I couldn't deal with them right now. We walked into the gym. Everyone one was already changed into their uniforms.

"Bella, how are you feeling today?" asked Coach Clapp.

"Pretty sore," I whispered softly.

"I bet. Just have a seat on the bleachers with Alice and Rosalie."

"Ok," I said softly.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Don't give up," he whispered before he walked away.

Alice, Rose and I made our way over to the bleachers and sat down. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped me arms around them. I closed my eyes and tried to push back the fear I was feeling. It had already been a long day.

**Thank you for all the reviews.**


	20. Chapter 20

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

Rose, Alice, and I sat there in the gym and watched the others playing volleyball. Once the bell rang, we quickly made our way out of the gym. Emmett was waiting for us just outside the door. He pulled me into his arms and led me to Spanish. I gave Alice and Rose a hug before we went into our class. Mrs. Goff gave me a small smile when I came in but didn't say anything.

Everyone came into the class and tried not to stare but they still did. I pulled my knees up to my chest and tried to ignore them. It wasn't easy but I couldn't care about how they felt anymore. It was time to focus on me. Mrs. Goff told us to work on our projects. Ben turned his chair around and showed us some stuff he got off the internet. We narrowed our choices done to three different meals. He told me to take them home and let him know which one I chose later.

The bell rang and I gently squeezed his hand. He just gave me a smile and left class. Emmett and I walked back to our lockers and put our stuff up. We walked into the cafeteria and everyone stopped and starred at us again. I felt Emmett tense up but I just pulled on his hand. He gave me a soft smile and we went to get our lunch. He got us a tray of food to share and we started to walk back to the table where Edward and the others were sitting at when I saw Angela and Ben sitting with Mike, Tyler and Eric Yorke. It looked like Angela and Ben were telling them off. I stopped and took a deep breath as I let go of Emmett's hand and walked over to Angela. She smiled softly as I came up to her.

"Ang, thank you for helping me yesterday and this morning. You and Ben have proven to be great friends. You are welcome to join us for lunch anytime you want," I whispered as I slowly wrapped my arms around her.

"You're welcome, Bella. We would love to join you." she said, smiling.

"Ok," I muttered as I let go and quickly went back to Emmett.

He smiled and wrapped his free arm around my shoulder. Angela and Ben followed us to the table where everyone was waiting for us. They all had big smiles on their faces. They knew how hard that was for me but I knew I could trust Angela and Ben. They both stood up for me. I sat down next to Edward. He wrapped his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder. I sighed as I felt my body relax.

"Ang, what were you and Ben saying to Mike, Tyler and Eric?" I asked softly.

"They were pissed that Lauren and Jessica got expelled. We were just telling them that they deserved it," said Angela.

"Why do they hate me?" I whispered.

"They don't hate you. They are jealous of you," said Ben.

"Why would they be jealous of me?" I asked.

"Because of the bond you and the others have. When you were gone, they tried to get Edward to go out with them but he never would. They thought it was because of you," explained Angela.

"Wow, talk about needing a fucking clue," chuckled Edward. "I will admit it was because I love you, B, and not them but man, they are just nasty."

"I think that may be the sweetest thing you ever said to me," I smiled.

"I hope not," chuckled Ben.

"Well, that's not true. When we were nine, he told me he liked me more than Batman. I think that was sweeter," I giggled.

"Really, E, better than Batman?" teased Emmett.

"Um, yeah, it was the week I got the chicken pox. You all had already had them and B made me her homemade brownies with extra marshmallows," chuckled Edward.

"B, if you made those for me I might like you more than Batman," teased Emmett.

"Too bad, brother bear. I only make those for E," I quipped.

"Some sister you are," pouted Emmett.

"Stop pouting, Em. I'll make you the fucking brownies," I said, snorting.

"You are such a baby," laughed Rose, leaning over and kissing Emmett's cheek. "But I love you anyway."

"Wow, I think that might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me, Rosie," chuckled Emmett.

"I'm sure that is true," smirked Jasper.

"Well, not all of us can be such romantics like you, Jasper. Right, Alice?" chuckled Angela.

"That's true. J is quite the romantic like the time when we were seven and he pushed me out of the tree house in my back yard," smirked Alice.

"Ali, he didn't push you. I bumped into him and he fell backwards," I muttered. "He took the blame so you wouldn't get mad at me."

"B, I know. He told me after…" she trailed off. "B, what are you doing after school?"

"I'm going to football practice with Emmett," I whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Ang, Rose and I have rehearsals for a gig we have this weekend."

"Where are you playing?" I asked.

"The reservation down at La Push is having a big party and bonfire. They asked us if we would play. You should come," said Alice.

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"Just think about it," she said softly as the bell rang. "We will see you after school."

Edward and I slowly made our way down to biology. We walked in just as the bell rang. Everyone stopped talking and stared at me. I cringed and turned to walk out but Edward just pulled me into his chest so I was hidden. He pulled me over to the teacher who was trying to get the classes attention off of me.

"Class, please start working on the lab on page four of your lab books," he said. Slowly, I heard the others start talking to each other. "Edward, do you have her slip?"

"Yes, sir," he said handing to him.

"Bella, I am Mr. Banner. I have the table in the back set aside for you and Edward. Please let Edward know if I need to help you," he said. I simply nodded my head at him. "Good, go get settled."

Edward pulled me to the back of the classroom and let me sit on the inside of the table. He opened his lab book and we started working on the lab. It wasn't hard. It only took us about five minutes. Everyone kept looking at me so I crawled over into Edward's lap and pulled my knees up to my chest while he hummed to me. Mr. Banner came over about ten minutes into class to see why we weren't working. He picked up our completed lab and checked it over.

"How did you get through this lab so fast?" he asked.

"Bella, knew all the answers," said Edward.

"Bella, how did you know this?" he asked. "This is college level biology."

"I…I…" I stammered.

"When we were little she used to read all the time. She has a photographic memory. She never forgets anything," explained Edward.

"Edward, would you and Bella mind staying after class for a few minutes? I have something I would like to discuss with you both," asked Mr. Banner.

"That's fine," said Edward.

Mr. Banner turned and walked over to help some of the other students. For the rest of the hour, I laid my head on Edward's chest and listened to his breathing. He would take slow deep breaths that I would match. By the time the bell rang, I was so relaxed that I was almost asleep. We waited for everyone to leave before we made our way to Mr. Banner.

"Bella, Edward, I'm afraid that I need to find more challenging work for you both to do this year. I teach advanced microbiology at UW. Would the two of you be willing to let me set up a completely different course for you? It would count as a college credit."

"B, what you do think?" asked Edward.

"I…I…ok," I barely whispered.

"Ok, I will work over the weekend to get it all set up for you. You two had better get to class" said Mr. Banner.

"Thank you, sir," said Edward.

Edward and I quickly made our way to Trig. The bell rang before we got to class and when we opened the door, once again everyone turned to stare at us. The teacher huffed impatiently at us to come in. Edward and I went up to his desk and gave him the slip. He signed it and thrust it back at us causing me to flinch into Edward. He ordered us to go sit down. Edward opened his mouth to say something but I just pulled on him. Edward snapped his mouth shut and followed me to our seats that were located in the front of the class. Edward whispered to me that his name was Mr. Varner.

"Now that we have been distracted," he sneered towards me. "We can get on with class. Turn to page five of your textbooks."

Mr. Varner wrote a problem on the board and looked over at me. I felt my eyes fill up with tears.

"Bella, please come up here and work the problem," smirked Mr. Varner. My entire body started shaking.

"Sir, she can't do that," said Edward wrapping his arm around me so I would stop shaking.

"Edward, she will do as she is told," he snapped.

"Sir-" said Edward again but I took a deep breathe and tried to calm my nerves. This was all part of my trying to have a normal life, I thought to myself.

"Ok," I whispered. I stood up slowly and walked over to the board. Mr. Varner held out the marker in his hand to me but I picked up one that was laying in the tray. I quickly worked the problem and circled my answer. "Done."

"Bella, how did you know how to work this problem?" snapped Mr. Varner harshly. I took a couple of steps back. There was so much venom laced in each word he spoke.

"I…I…" started.

"Yes?" he sneered at me as he stepped closer to me.

"I…I…" I whispered as I stated panicking. "Please stop. Please stop."

"Bella, I demand that you tell me now," snapped Mr. Varner.

"Sir-" said Edward again as he made to stand up.

"Mr. Cullen, sit down!" he yelled. I fell to the ground and pulled my knees to my chest. "Bella, tell me now!"

"I LOOKED AT THE EXAMPLE PROBLEM BEFORE I CAME UP HERE!" I screamed loudly.

"How did you learn to do it just by looking at the problem?" he snapped.

"SHE IS A GENIUS," shouted Edward as he jumped out of his seat and pulled me into his arms. "She has a photographic memory. She remembers everything."

Edward turned and carried me out of the classroom. Mr. Varner came running after us.

"MR. CULLEN, BRING HER BACK INTO THIS CLASSROOM!" shouted Mr. Varner. Edward stopped and turned around. Teachers and students were coming out of their classrooms to see what the noise was.

"WHY?" He shouted. "SO YOU CAN TRY TO BREAK HER AGAIN?"

"I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" shouted Mr. Varner. "IF SHE CAN'T HANDLE MY CLASSROOM, THEN SHE SHOULD GO BACK-."

"NOOOOOOOO!" I screamed, wiggling myself out of Edward's arms. "DON'T TAKE ME BACK TO HIM. PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GO. DON'T LET HIM TOUCH ME."

I fell to the ground again and pulled my knees to my chest and started shaking and sobbing. I started tearing at my arms and Edward quickly grabbed my hands to stop me from pulling my stitches.

"B, calm down," he said as he looked up at Mr. Varner. "Are you happy now? You broke her!"

"What is going on here?" snapped Eleazar, who was running down the hall.

"Please let me stay. I don't want to live in the dark anymore," I sobbed as I fell into Edward's arms.

"Bella, it's ok. You can stay. You aren't going back to the darkness," said Eleazar, kneeling down next to me and Edward. "Edward, what happened?"

"We were a few minutes late for class because Mr. Banner wanted to speak to us about setting Bella and I up with harder work. When we came into Trig, Mr. Varner was rude to both of us. We took our seats and he started class. He wrote a problem up on the board and demanded that Bella come up to work it, even though he hadn't told us how. Bella went up and worked it. When he asked how she knew how to do it, rudely, she started to panic. I tried to explain that she has a photographic memory but he wouldn't listen to us. He kept stepping closer to her and she panicked and fell to the ground. I picked her up and yelled at how she did it and carried her out. He came running after us screaming that she should go back home. She thought he was saying that she would go back to him. He purposely pushed her until he broke her," explained Edward.

"Mr. Varner, how dare you treat her like that. I made it perfectly clear that she was to be given time to adjust to school. Get your personal things together. You are suspended and if I have anything to say about it, you will be fired," snapped Eleazar.

"WHAT?" shouted Mr. Varner. "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

"I THINK I JUST DID!" shouted Eleazar.

"Stupid little bitch. Deserves everything she got," muttered Mr. Varner under his breath. I felt my entire body shake as my anger exploded from my chest. I pushed Edward away from me and stood up.

"DESERVED IT?" I screamed. "DID I DESERVE TO BE WHIPPED, CHOKED, BURNED? DID I DESERVE TO BE RAPED EVERY FUCKING DAY? DID I DESERVE TO HAVE MY LEGS AND ARMS BROKEN? DID I DESERVE TO BE TIED TO A BED WHILE SOMEONE STOLE MY CHANCE TO EVER HAVE A BABY? DID I DESERVED TO BE MADE A WHORE WHEN HE BROUGHT OTHER FUCKING MEN IN AND LET THEM RAPE ME?"

"B, calm down," said Emmett coming up behind me. I looked around at everyone who was watching.

"NO, I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" I screamed. "I DIDN'T DESERVE ONE THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME. I DIDN'T DESERVE TO HAVE HIM HURT ME EVERY FUCKING DAY. WHILE YOU ALL WERE IN YOUR NICE WARM BEDS, I WAS LOCKED AWAY IN THE DARKNESS WITH A MONSTER. WHO WAS HELPING ME? WHO WAS PROTECTING ME? I HAD NOBODY. EVERYDAY HE WOULD COME INTO MY HELL AND SPEND HOURS TORTURING ME."

"ISABELLA MARIE SWAN, STOP IT!" bellowed Edward. I fell to my knees again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stop him. I tried, I really tried but he was so much stronger than me," I sobbed as I curled my body on the floor. "Please don't make me go back."

"Baby, you aren't going back, not ever," whispered Edward. "I promise."

"Please, I'll be good. I'll do whatever you tell me. I'll let you do whatever you want to me. You can hurt me if you want. Please just let me stay," I bawled.

"You don't have to do anything," whispered Edward as he rocked me back and forth. "You're safe now, love. Nobody is going to ever hurt you again. It's going to be ok. Just calm down, love. You need to take deep breaths."

"Are you happy now, Mr. Varner?" snapped Emmett. "She was eleven years old. How did she deserve any of that?"

"I didn't…" muttered Mr. Varner.

"No, you didn't think before you opened your mouth," snapped Eleazar. By now the final bell had rung and the entire school was standing around us, crying as they heard everything he did to me. "ARE YOU ALL HAPPY NOW? NOW THAT YOU HAVE HEARD WHAT HE DID TO HER? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET HER HEAL? SHE DESERVES THIS CHANCE TO BE NORMAL MORE THAN ANY OF YOU. I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF YOU ARE A STUDENT OR A TEACHER. BELLA DESERVES TO BE HERE. LEAVE HER ALONE."

"It's going to be ok, B. It's all over," whispered Edward.

I pulled myself out of his arms. I stood up and looked around as everyone. I could see the fear they had in their eyes. I could see that they were lost about what do to. They just stood there and watched me like I was freak. He was right. I was nothing more than a filthy, whore. Nobody would ever want me. I didn't deserve to have anyone love me.

"I'm done with it all," I muttered angrily.

"Bella-" said Emmett as he reached out and grabbed my arm. I pulled it out from his grip.

"NO! I AM DONE. I GIVE UP. I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR FACES. NOT ONE OF YOU WANTS ME HERE. I AM NOTHING MORE THAN A FILTHY WHORE!" I screamed. "YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO LOOK AT ME AGAIN. I'M DONE."

I turned and ran out of the school. I heard Emmett, Edward, Rose and Alice yelling after me but I didn't stop. I just kept running. I ran into the woods as fast as I could. After several minutes I just fell to my knees and cried. It was stupid of me to think that I could do this. He had won. I would never be able to go back and be that Bella again. I sat there for a long time and just cried. I threw my hands down on the ground and felt something sharp cut my hand. I looked down and saw a sharp rock. I picked it up. If I couldn't go back to being the happy Bella, I would end it all now. I gripped the rock in my hand and started digging it into my wrist but I didn't feel the pain like I should have. I kept digging until the darkness took over. As I fell into the darkness, I prayed that the pain was finally going to end.

**Thank you for all the reviews. The hunting party to take Mr. Varner down will meet at dusk. Someone bring a rope and I will bring the knife….Seriously though, like I said before it's one step forward three steps backwards. These are huge steps backwards.**


	21. Chapter 21

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

CHPOV

"That will be $4.25," I said. He handed me a five dollar bill. I quickly pulled out his change. "Here you go. Have a nice day."

I walked back to the end of the counter and picked up an empty coffee cup when my cell phone rang from my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that it was Alice Cullen calling. Crap, I thought to myself, Bella must be having an episode. I pushed the talk button.

"Alice, what's wrong?"

"Bella needs you now," she said. I could hear Bella screaming in the back ground.

"We will be right there," I said before I hung up the phone. "Re, we need to go now. Bella needs us."

"What's wrong?" asked Renee as she ran from the back.

"I don't know. Alice called. I could hear Bella screaming in the back ground," I said as we jumped into the car.

We called Carlisle and he said he would meet us at the school. He told us that Jasper had already called him and he was on his way. A few minutes later, we pulled into the school parking lot. Even though the school day should have been over, there were no kids in the parking lot. We jumped out of the car and ran inside. We found Carlisle in a heated exchange with Mr. Varner, the math teacher.

"How could you be so cruel?" snapped Carlisle. "Did you even think about how she might be feeling?"

"What happened?" I asked. "Where's Bella?"

"Bella ran off. Emmett, Edward, Jasper, and Eleazar are looking for her. She ran into the woods," said Carlisle.

"Why?" asked Renee.

"Mr. Varner decided to push Bella until she had a major break down. He made a comment about her needing to go home if she couldn't handle his class. She thought he was trying to send her back to him and she freaked out. After Eleazar suspended him, he made a comment about her deserving everything she got. Bella started screaming out everything that monster did to her in front of everyone. She said she was done and that she gave up. She ran out of here. The boys tried to stop her but she was faster than they are," explained Carlisle. I felt like I could rip Mr. Varner's fucking head off.

"ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?" I shouted at Mr. Varner. "HOW DID SHE DESERVE ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO HER?"

"I didn't mean it like that," muttered Mr. Varner.

"HOW EXACTLY DID YOU MEAN IT?" screamed Renee.

"Look, if she can't handle school then she should be at home. That's all I meant."

"She deserves a chance. She was making progress and you just pushed all of that out of the way. It will be nearly impossible to help her now. You made her feel like she was nothing. I will make it my personal challenge to see that you don't teach one more student at this school, or the state of Washington," snapped Renee.

"That won't be necessary, Renee," said David Newton from behind Mr. Varner. "Mr. Varner, you are fired. I will be going in front of the state board to make sure that you never teach anywhere again."

"DAD! DAD, WE NEED HELP!" shouted Edward from outside the school.

Carlisle, Renee and I ran out and found him holding Bella in his arms. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely from her left wrist.

"What happened?" asked Carlisle as he placed her on the ground. "Edward call 911."

"We found her about a mile into the woods. She was holding this rock in her right hand," said Emmett, showing us the bloody rock. "I think she …tried to kill herself."

"No, please, baby, don't give up," cried Renee.

Just then the ambulance showed up. They loaded her onto the stretcher. Carlisle and Renee climbed in with her. The rest of us ran to my car and followed them to the hospital. We meet Carlisle and Renee in Bella's room.

"Is she going to be ok?" I whispered.

"I was able to stop the bleeding and stitch her up," sighed Carlisle. "I don't know if she will ever be able to move on, Charlie. I just don't know what to do."

"God, please help her," I whispered to myself.

For the rest of the day, we sat in Bella's hospital room waiting for her to wakeup. We changed her from the dirty clothes to a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeve shirt. I knew we are going to have to make a drastic decision about what to do for Bella. She needed more than what we could do for her. I just didn't know what to do. Carlisle instructed them to restrain Bella so that when she wakes up she won't try to hurt herself again.

By the next afternoon, we were all getting restless. Carlisle called Will, Esme, and Cat as well as all the kids to meet us in Bella's room. He knew that the kids had to be involved in this decision as well. They loved her so much.

"We need to make a decision. I think Bella needs more help than we can give her," said Carlisle.

"What do you suggest?" I asked.

"I think we need to send her somewhere where she can get help," whispered Carlisle.

"But we just got her back," said Renee.

"I know but we can't help her. She is losing it and She is to the point that if we don't do something drastic then the next time she tries, she will kill herself," said Carlisle.

"Dad, you can't let them send her away," said Emmett, looking over at me. I could see the pain in my sons eyes but I knew Carlisle was right.

"Emmett, I…I think he's right," I whispered.

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?" shouted Edward. "I CAN'T LOSE HER. I JUST GOT HER BACK."

"Edward, this isn't your Bella. The Bella you love is hidden under all the pain. Son, you have to let her go so she can heal. That is the only way she can ever truly love you the way she deserves to," explained Carlisle, placing his hand on Edward's shoulder.

"But I promised not to let you send her away," whispered Edward through his tears. "I promised her."

"I know it's hard but we have to," I muttered as my tears fell. I looked over at my wife. "Renee, you know I'm right."

"I know you are but I don't want to lose her again," sobbed Renee. "I just want my Bella back."

"She can't be the same Bella that she was," said a man from behind us. We turned to see a tall sandy haired man with bright blue grey eyes.

"Garrett, thank you for coming," said Carlisle, ushering him into the room. "Everyone, this is Garrett Mitchell. Garrett, this is Charlie, Renee, and Emmett Swan. My son, Edward, my daughter, Alice, my wife, Esme, and Will, Catherine, Rosalie and Jasper Hale."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Garrett, nodding his head at all of us. "I wish it was under better circumstances."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Mitchell. What exactly do you mean about she can't be the same Bella?" asked Renee.

"Please call me Garrett. When a person has gone through the abuse and extreme violence that Bella has gone through it changes them. You can't expect to ever see the same girl she was before she was kidnapped."

"How much do you know about her case?" I asked.

"I only know that she was kidnapped and held for nearly six years. I know that she went through extreme physical and sexual abuse," said Garrett. "Look, I'm not going to sugar coat it. If Bella doesn't come with me, she will be dead in a year."

"Wait, go with you where?" asked Emmett.

"Garrett runs a program that helps those in similar situations like Bella's," said Carlisle.

"What you need to understand is that Bella feels just as alone here as she did when she was gone. To her, nobody understands what she has been through because, honestly, you don't," said Garrett.

"And you do?" snapped Edward.

"Yes I do," said Garrett. "Without getting into the details, Bella and I have a lot in common. Everyone who works at my resort has been through a lot of the same trauma that Bella has. Although, I will admit that I think she has been through more than anyone else there."

"How can you help her?" asked Alice.

"Bella and I will spend everyday in intensive therapy. She will fight me for the first week or two then she will slowly start opening up. Bella has years of trauma to work out. My wife, Kate, will teach her relaxation techniques to help her manage her anxiety and panic attacks. When Bella is healed from her cuts, Kate will teach her how to fight so that Bella will feel safe with herself. She will attend group therapy sessions everyday with the other girls that are there."

"Are we going to be able to visit her?" asked Rose.

"No," said Garrett.

"Why not?" asked Emmett.

"My resort is located in Brazil," muttered Garrett.

"WHAT? YOU CAN'T SEND B TO BRAZIL!" bellowed Emmett.

"WHY CAN'T YOU FIND SOMEPLACE CLOSER TO US?" screamed Alice.

"SHE CAN'T SURVIVE ALL ALONE IN BRAZIL!" shouted Edward.

"WE WON'T LET YOU TAKE OUR SISTER AWAY TO BRAZIL!" yelled Jasper.

"SHE NEEDS US. WE CAN HELP HER!" screamed Rose.

"No you can't," snapped Garrett. "All you are going to do is make her dependent on you. She needs to learn how to be able to depend on herself."

"We won't leave her. She can count on us," sneered Edward. "I WON'T LEAVE HER."

"YES, YOU WILL!" shouted Garrett. He paused and took a deep breath. "What happens when its time for you to go to college next year? If you don't let her go now, you will have to then. If she doesn't get help now, she won't be fit to go to college in the fall at all. Look, kids, I know you all have missed Bella. I can tell that the six of you are very close. Let me help her so I can bring her back to you."

"Do you promise to bring her back to me?" whispered Edward as he let his tears fall.

"I promise to bring her back," said Garrett.

"Do you promise not to hurt her?" whispered Emmett.

"I promise not to hurt her," said Garrett.

"Fine," sighed Edward. He slid to the ground and buried his face in his hands and sobbed. "I'll …. trust…you …with…my life. She is…all…I have. Please…help…her."

"Edward, I promise to help her. I will never give up on her," whispered Garrett as he knelt next to Edward. He placed his hand on Edward shoulder. "I give you my word. I will bring her back to you as soon as she is better."

"I guess we will let…her go," whispered Emmett, through his tears.

"Please take care of our sister," cried Alice. Jasper pulled her into his arms.

"I…" said Rose as she just sobbed. "Fine."

"What do we do now?" asked Jasper, through his tears. They really loved my Bella.

"I need someone to go pack Bella's clothes into two suitcases. Do not pack anything other than her clothes. No pictures, no books, no music. Just her clothes," said Garrett, standing up.

"I'll go do it," said Cat, quickly.

"Do it now, please. Bring her bags here."

"Ok," said Cat. She turned and ran out of the room.

"Here is what is going to happen. When Bella wakes up she is going to beg you to take off her restraints. We can't do that until we explain that she is going with me. She will be mad. She will scream and cry. She will tell you that she won't do it again. She's lying. She may believe it at the moment but the longer that Bella holds it all in the more it is going to fester until she loses it again and hurts herself. She will scream that she hates you. She will accuse you of trying to get rid of her. She will blame you for what happened. She doesn't mean any of it. She is going to be scared. She will tell you to leave. When she does this, you tell her that you love her, you promise to be here when she gets back. Then you turn and walk out of the room. Do not try to hug her or kiss her."

"Why not?" asked Edward.

"Because right now, she needs to use the anger to convince herself to go," said Garrett. "Once all of you are out of this room, you need to go home. Bella and I are out of here as soon as you leave. I have a private plane sitting at the Forks airport right now."

"How are you going to get her to get on a plane with you?" asked Emmett.

"I am going to handcuff myself to her," said Garrett, shrugging his shoulders.

"What?" Edward snapped. "You can't do that to her."

"Edward, it's the only way. She is going to hate me for awhile but eventually she will let me help her," he said softly. "I promise to take good care of her."

"Fine," he sighed. "I just hope it works."

"Now lets talk about getting you all help," said Garrett, looking around at all of us.

"What do you mean?" asked Will.

"I mean, that you all need to find someone who you can trust to help you deal with your pain," explained Garrett. "Bella's kidnapping hurt all of you and none of you have dealt with it. You need to do that so that when Bella comes home, you can be here for her."

"Do you recommend anyone?" asked Carlisle.

"Contact Peter Davis at the high school. He can put you in touch with someone in Seattle," he said.

"Mr. Davis, our history teacher?" asked Jasper.

"Yes, I had him placed in the school so he could watch Bella, and all of you, to make sure you were ok. He is very concerned about you all."

Cat showed up an hour later with Bella's bags. Garrett left to take her bags to the plane. Renee and I spent the next hour crying together as did the others. We just got our Bella back and now we had to let her go. It was the hardest decision that I ever had to make but I had to do it. I could see that Bella was never going to be able to heal from this without help and we didn't have the kind of help she needed. I looked over and saw Bella snap her eyes open. She didn't look happy. God help us for doing this to my Bella.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I would love to hear your thoughts about this one. **


	22. Chapter 22

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

BPOV

I was laying in the darkness but I wasn't scared. I turned around to look for the light at the end of the tunnel and found it behind me. I ran as quickly as I could. Faster and faster I moved my legs trying to get to the place where pain doesn't exist. As I ran into the light, I knew something was wrong. The light was too bright. It wasn't real. I closed my eyes and snapped them back open. The first thing I saw was the goddamn florescent light that was always in a hospital room. I looked up and saw everyone standing around me. Edward was standing next to me. I tried to reach up and grab his hand but I couldn't move my arms. Frantically, I looked down and saw that my hands were restrained, again.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed as I pulled against the straps on my arms. "FUCKING LET ME GO!"

"We can't, sweetheart. You will hurt yourself again," said Carlisle.

"No, I won't. Please let me go," I begged him.

"Bella, baby, you need to calm down," whispered Renee.

"Mommy, please help me. Don't let them hurt me," I cried.

"I can't," cried Renee as she fell into Charlie's arms.

"Daddy, please," I begged as I let my tears fall.

"Baby, I can't," whispered Charlie. I looked up at Edward. He had tears falling down his face.

"E, please help me," I sobbed.

"Love, I can't," he whispered through his tears.

"Bella, why did you try to cut your wrist?" asked Carlisle.

"It…it was an accident. I fell," I lied.

"Bella, you dug into your arm with a rock. That wasn't an accident," muttered Charlie.

"Sweetheart, you need help," said Carlisle as he let his tears fall.

"You can help me. Just please let me go," I whispered through my tears.

"We can't help you here. You have to go away for a while," whispered Charlie through his tears.

"NO, PLEASE DON'T SEND ME AWAY. PLEASE I'LL BE GOOD!" I screamed. "I'LL LET YOU DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ME. YOU CAN HURT ME IF YOU WANT. PLEASE JUST DON'T SEND ME AWAY."

"Baby-" started Renee.

"DON'T FUCKING BABY ME, RENEE. YOU PROMISED TO HELP ME!" I screamed angrily. "E, don't let them send me away."

"B, you have to go," he choked out through is tears.

"NO, I WON'T GO!" I screamed. "YOU PROMISED ME WOULDN'T LET THEM SEND ME AWAY. YOU SAID YOU LOVE ME. PLEASE HELP ME."

"B-" started Edward but I looked over at Emmett.

"EM, YOU PROMISED NEVER TO LEAVE ME AGAIN. PLEASE HELP ME, BROTHER BEAR"

"B, I can't," he whispered through his tears. I looked around at everyone. They were all sobbing and shaking their heads at me.

"I HATE YOU ALL. YOU PROMISED TO HELP ME. YOU'RE ALL LIARS. YOU DON'T WANT ME BECAUSE YOU THINK I AM A WHORE. YOU LET HIM TAKE ME. YOU DIDN'T WANT ME ANYMORE SO YOU LET HIM FUCKING TAKE ME."

"Baby, no-" started Renee as she came up to me.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME. I WISH HE HAD KILLED ME. YOU HATE ME. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE."

"Bella-" started Charlie.

"NO! YOU HAVE MADE YOUR POINT. YOU DON'T WANT ME. GET THE FUCK OUT," I screamed.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, BELLA," shouted a man who just walked in. He has sandy hair and bright blue grey eyes

"Who the fuck are you?" I sneered.

"I'm your last fucking chance," he snapped.

"Get the fuck out of my room," I sneered at him.

"No," he snapped. "You are going to shut the fuck up and listen to your family."

"Bella, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you," said Renee. She turned and walked out of my room.

"I HATE YOU, RENEE!" I screamed.

"SHUT UP, BELLA!" shouted the sandy haired man. I just glared at them all.

"Bella, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you," said Charlie. He turned and walked out of my room. My father was leaving me.

"Bella, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you," said Esme. She turned and walked out of my room.

"Bella, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you," said Cat. She turned and walked out of my room.

"Bella, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you," said Will. He turned and walked out of my room.

"Bella, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you," said Carlisle. He turned and walked out of my room.

"B, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you. Sisters forever," whispered Rose. She turned and walked out of my room.

"B, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you. Sisters forever," whispered Alice. She turned and walked out of my room.

"B, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you. Get better, little sister," whispered Jasper. He turned and walked out of my room.

"B, I love you. When you are better, I will be here waiting for you. I'm sorry," whispered Emmett. He turned and walked out of my room.

"Love, I will love you forever. I will be here for you when you get better. I promise," whispered Edward as he let his tears fall. He went to grab my hand then pulled back and ran out of my room.

"I HATE YOU ALL!" I screamed as loud as I could. "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS."

"That's about enough of that shit," said the man still in the doorway of my room. "My name is Garrett Mitchell. You and I are going to be spending a lot of time together."

"What the fuck does that mean?" I snapped.

"That means that you had better get rid of that fucking chip on your shoulder. I don't fucking give a shit how bad you had it, honey," he snapped as he came over to me. He snapped a handcuff onto my left wrist.

"GET THIS FUCKING THING OFF OF ME," I screamed.

"Nope. Now lets go, we have a flight to catch," he said as he undid my restraints.

"What if I don't want to go with you?" I snapped.

"It doesn't really matter. See after you decided to try to kill yourself, that nice judge in Arizona that took pity on you and let you come back here before you were ready, signed a court order saying that you have to come with me. You don't have a choice, honey. Now lets go," he smirked.

"Where are we going?" I snapped.

"You will see when we get there."

"I need to go home and pack my stuff."

"Nope, already taken care of while you were being mini coma girl," he said, still smirking. "Quit stalling and lets go. We have a very, very long flight."

"Fine," I huffed. "It's not like they want me here anyway. I might as well be your whore."

"First thing you had better learn is that I don't like that fucking word. You are not a whore. You have never been a whore," snapped Garrett.

"See how much you fucking know," I muttered under my breath.

Garrett dragged me out of the hospital, all while people stared at me. He threw me into the back of the cab that was waiting for us. The driver just stared at the scars on my hand. Garrett snapped at him to fucking drive. The driver jumped and speed off. I stifled my chuckle the best I could. Once we got to the airport, Garrett dragged me onto a small private plane. He pulled me into the seat next to him and buckled my seat belt for me. Once we were in the air, he took off the handcuff.

"So where are you kidnapping me to?" I snapped.

"Brazil," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"WHAT?" I screamed. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY FUCKING LET YOU DRAG ME TO FUCKING BRAZIL."

"If you keep screaming in my ear, I will fucking sedate you," he snapped. "Look, I don't really give a shit that you are pissed at your family. I understand why you feel that way but they did this because they don't want to lose you. You have a choice to make. You can choose to help yourself or you can choose to give up."

"You don't understand a goddamn thing about me or what I have been through," I snapped as I undid my seat belt.

I got up and moved to a seat in the back of the plane. I knew that my family was worried about me. It's not like I hadn't been trying but how was I supposed to move on and be all happy when I all I felt was pain. They didn't understand a damn thing about what it was like to be used and abused every fucking day for 2095 days. I spent every damn day in fear and hopelessness. All I wanted is for someone to save me. I wanted my knight in shining armor to ride up and help the damsel in distress. He was supposed to save me from the evil man and carry to me to safety.

When he found me, he was supposed to take me to my happily ever after. What a crock of shit! All there has been since I was 'saved' was misery and pain. Nobody wanted me. I saw the looks on the faces of all those fuckers at school. I was the dancing chicken, a circus freak. Come one, come all and stare at the poor freak that was a whore for everyone to abuse for fun! I tried to move on from the pain. I really did try. I thought I could go to school and be normal. I mean I knew it would be hard to be physically close to everyone but I had my friends back. It was their turn to protect me. I had done plenty of that for them when we were little.

When we were little, I was the one who stood up for them when the other kids were mean. Like the time, Mike Newton pulled Alice's hair and called her a midget. I marched right over to him, grabbed his ear and made him come apologize to my Alice. When he tried to fight me, I twisted it even harder until he did it. Of course then he had to go be a fucking baby and tell our teacher. I got in an ass load of trouble when I got home but at least I protected Alice. Who protected me? Who was there when I needed someone to get him to leave me alone? Nobody helped me fight him off, nobody pulled him away when he pulled my hair and called me names. Nobody gave a shit when he hurt me. I was alone in the darkness. I had nobody because they didn't give a rats ass if I needed them, not then and not now.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So Bella is a little pissed off right now but she needs to be pissed.**


	23. Chapter 23

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"Bella, lets go," said Garrett, shaking my shoulders. I looked around and noticed that we were on the ground.

"Where are we?" I snapped. I noticed he had put the handcuff on me again. Fucking jerk.

"We are in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil," he explained as he pulled me off the plane.

"Where to now?" I snapped.

"We have to get on our boat now," he said as he pulled me through the small airport. I noticed people were looking at me.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" I snapped at some man that was starting at me. Garrett stopped and yanked on my arm.

"Lose the fucking attitude now, Bella," he snapped. "These people have done nothing to you."

"I don't give a shit. I didn't ask for them to stare at me like I am a fucking freak."

"You are acting like a spoiled fucking brat," he snapped.

"GOOD!" I screamed. "I FUCKING DESERVE TO GET TO ACT LIKE THIS!"

"One day, you will thank me for this," he snapped.

"Don't fucking count on it," I snapped back.

Garrett just chuckled and dragged me out of the airport. We got into another cab. I just stared out the windows as we drove through sunny Brazil. I fucking hated it here already. We pulled up to the docks and Garrett, roughly, pulled me out of the cab. He threw my bags into a small speed boat and threw me over his shoulder as he jumped into the boat.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed as I hit him on his back. He threw me into the seat next to his. "I DON'T LIKE TO BE TOUCHED."

"Goddamn it, you hit hard for a girl," he chuckled as he rubbed his back. He started the boat and headed out to sea.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" I asked.

"I own a small island about 20 miles or so from the docks. I opened a small resort where I help people who have similar backgrounds as you do," he explained.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked.

"Because your family loves you very much, Bella. They don't want to lose you," He said softly.

"If they loved me, they wouldn't have let you take me away from them," I said mostly to myself.

"Bella, if they didn't love you, they would have let you bleed to death in the woods."

We spent the rest of the boat ride in silence. I was sure in his mind that he honestly believed that they gave a shit about me but I knew the truth. They had given up on me. Now that they know exactly what he did to me they realized that I wasn't worth it. Even as a child I was always the oddball of the six of us. I was too smart. I wasn't pretty like Alice and Rose. I wasn't as strong as Emmett or Jasper. I was never as talented as Edward. Even my parents didn't want me around anymore. I wasn't good enough to be their daughter. I was an ugly, disfigured, dirty whore. I wiped a tear from my eye as I realized I didn't have anyone. I really was alone.

Once we got to the island, Garrett pulled up to the dock. I will admit it was beautiful. Garrett took off the handcuff and motioned for me to climb out of the boat. I sighed and climbed out. He set my bags on the dock and led me up the small path way to a group small group of buildings. He pointed out each one as we passed them. He explained that breakfast is served at eight a.m., lunch was served at noon, and dinner is ready at six p.m. He said he would rotate me into the schedule to help prepare meals and clean up. He explained that each of us worked exclusively with one person. He and his wife, Kate, were the only two people that I would have to talk to. He pointed out the gym, the laundry room, the living rooms, the exercise room and the music room. He lead me into a small conference room where three girls around my age were sitting with a tall beautiful blond woman that reminded me of Rose, and a blacked haired woman. Garrett threw me into an empty seat and pulled the blond into his arms and gave her a kiss. He turned to look at everyone else.

"Ladies, how are we doing today?" he asked.

"Ok, I guess," shrugged a strawberry blond haired girl.

"Well, that's better than the 'fucking sucks' you usually tell me so I guess that is a good thing," chuckled Garrett.

"I suppose," chuckled the girl. I wanted to roll my eyes at her but I didn't.

"Bella, these are my other hostages. This is Tanya, Maggie, and Heidi. This beautiful lady is my wife, Kate. This is Charlotte. She started working with me two years ago. Ladies, this is Bella. Why don't you tell her your stories? Lets start with you, Tanya."

"Ok, a year ago, I was gang raped by five members of my schools high school basketball team. They video taped it and put it on the internet. When my parents saw it they called me a whore and a slut and kicked me out. I spent the next few months fucking anyone who would let me stay with them for at least the night. Then six months ago, I was beaten so bad by this guy I had been fucking that I landed in the hospital. I was in a coma for two weeks. When I woke up, Garrett dragged me here," explained Tanya.

"Maggie?" said Garrett.

"I was raped by my step father six months ago. I found out a month later that he knocked me up. He beat me so bad I lost the baby. I took a knife and stabbed myself in the stomach four times before my mother was able to stop me. Garrett dragged me here three days later," said Maggie, a red head with freckles and brown eyes.

"Heidi?" said Garrett.

"My parents were driving home from a charity dinner when they were killed by a drunk driver. When I heard the news I was devastated. I ran to my friend Tony's house. I needed a friend. He had some of his friends over but he pulled me into the house and let me cry for hours. At some point I fell asleep. When I woke up I was tied to the bed and I was naked. Tony and his friends took turns raping me all night. Finally when the sun came up they threw me in the back of one of their cars and drove me home. They didn't even slow the car down as they threw me out of the back seat. I was rushed to the hospital. That is where I met Garrett," said Heidi, a dark haired girl with dark eyes.

"Charlotte?"

"My best friend's father was driving me home from his house one night when he stopped at the park. He raped me and stabbed me eight times. I was in a coma for three months. When I woke up, I tried to kill myself by jumping off a bridge," explained Charlotte. She had jet black hair and bright blue eyes. I looked around at all of them before looking back at Garrett.

"Am I supposed to feel a fucking connection to them?" I snapped.

"No," he said, simply.

"Good because what they went through sounds like a fucking dream come true compared to what I did," I snapped.

"You don't fucking know that," snapped Heidi. I just shook my head and smirked at them all.

"Fucking bitch," muttered Tanya under her breath.

"I was kidnapped a week before my twelfth and held captive for five years and nine months. I was raped every fucking day, I was whipped, burned, choked, stabbed, turned into a whore when he chained me to a table and let other men come in a fucking rape me. I was eleven when he tied me to a bed and had a man come in and fucking cut my uterus out so I couldn't have a fucking baby. He broke my hand, both my legs, both my arms and probably every fucking rib in my body. I was pissed on, beaten and called every name you can think of and more. I lived through more hell than you could ever dream of. He put a fucking gun to my head and asked me if I wanted him to fucking kill me. When I begged for my life, he pulled the trigger just to watch me flinch. He threaten to bring my friends in and make me watch him kill them in front of me. I was locked in a pitch back room for 2095 fucking days," I snapped. "So excuse me if I don't feel sorry for the fact that you had to go through a few fucking nights of pain."

I stood up and walked out of the room slamming the door behind me. I walked down and sat on the beach. I pulled my knees up to my chest and let myself cry. I cried for every fucking day I was in hell. I cried for every minute that I spent begging him to stop. For every time he laughed and spit on me. I cried for the family that I loved despite the fact that they had abandoned me. I loved them despite the fact that they had given up on me. I loved them despite the fact that they didn't want me anymore. I loved them despite the fact that I didn't deserve to have any of them. I was nothing. I wasn't anything more than a void in space.

"Feel better?" asked Garrett sitting down next to me.

"Not really," I mumbled. "It's not like I matter to anyone anyway."

"Yes, you do, honey," said Garrett. "You're not the only one who has lived in hell and survived."

"Oh, I know. I heard all their sob stories," I mumbled.

"I want to tell you a story. I don't want you to say anything until I am done, Ok?" he asked.

"Ok," I whispered.

"I was born to Alec and Jane Mitchell. To everyone in outside world we seemed to be the perfect family. No one knew the true horrors that were being held in our home. My parents believed that children had to be broken in order to be raised right. For the first few years of my life, I was happy. Then when I turned three it all changed. My parents were sadist. They started beating me everyday. They would tie me to the bed and whip my body over and over. They branded me with a branding iron. I was used in abused in many different ways. I learned very quickly not to cry. It just made it worse. When I was four, my brother, Laurent, was born. I vowed that day to protect my little brother. I really tried but by the time he was three, they started 'training' him. We were often starved for days at a time. We were locked in a closet for days, sitting in the darkness alone and frightened.

"One day when I was twelve, I was taken down into the basement and tied to a table. I looked over and saw Laurent tied to a table just like I was. He was eight years old. After about ten minutes, our parents returned with several men. These men raped us and forced us to perform sexual acts on them. We were both to afraid to say no. We knew better than to cry out at all. After a few hours of repeatedly being attacked, we were taken back to our closets. That night I managed to sneak out of my closet. I found Laurent and we ran away. We were both naked. We had bruise covering our entire bodies. We ran into the police station and begged them to help up. They took us to the hospital. We both had broken ribs, bruises covering nearly our entire bodies. Laurent wouldn't say a word to any of them. I told them who we were. They arrested our parents and all the men involved in our assault.

"We were sent to foster homes but they never really worked out. Despite never having been in a regular school setting I was able to graduate from high School at sixteen. I became a emancipated minor and got custody of Laurent. I went to college then medical school but Laurent still wouldn't talk to anyone, not even me. We both went to therapy together but we didn't really trust anyone. Then Kate and her sister, Irina, came into our lives. I was working in a free clinic in Rochester New York. Kate came in, pregnant covered in scars. Irina was shy and timid. She flinched every time I looked at her. Laurent was helping me that day. Irina just looked at him and fell into his arms and started crying. Neither Kate or Irina would tell us what was wrong but we knew from our own experiences that something traumatic had happened to these girls. I fell in love with Kate the moment I saw her.

"The four of us met everyday for the next few months. We eventually told them our story and they told us most of theirs. It was another month before Kate and Irina opened up about the sexual abuse they suffered. We were prepared to be a family. We were prepared to raise the baby together and finally be a family. Then Kate went into preterm labor. Christian lived for just under three days. Kate was upset. We all were. About a month after the baby died, Laurent and Irina killed themselves. They shot themselves in the middle of our living room while Kate and I were at the cemetery visiting the baby. They left a note telling us that they couldn't live in a world that would take our only chance at happiness away. Kate and I were devastated. They were all we had. Over the next few months, we fought like crazy. I think neither of us knew how to cope with everything. Through all of our years living in hell we at least had our sibling. One day, I was having a real bad day, when Kate came into the living room where I was sitting. I looked over at her and I saw the blood. She had fallen in the bathroom and her hand went through the window. She didn't even feel the pain from the cut. I rushed her to the hospital. They stitched her up and while I was sitting there holding her hand. I started sobbing. I let go that day and got rid of all my anger. Kate and I went to therapy and got the help we needed. Three years later, we bought this island and opened the resort. Bella, you are the only one who can heal you. I know that you have gone through more than any of us and I am honestly sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through that but you have to make the decision on whether or not you are going to be a victim or if you are going to be a survivor."

Garrett stood up and walked away. I sat there stunned. I knew he was right but I wasn't sure how I could help myself when I felt so lost and alone. How do I trust myself enough to let the pain go? How do I leave myself vulnerable to everyone? How do I get him out of my head? He was always there. I knew that I had to do this if I ever wanted my family back but I just don't know how to get rid of him. I sat there on the beach and watched the sunset. I eventually got up and made my way to my room. I went in and laid on my bed. I curled myself into a ball and cried myself to sleep.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I honestly love all of them. Keep talking to me people.**


	24. Chapter 24

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

_I was curled up in my corner, my knees pulled to my chest. I was naked and shaking. I could fell the marks on my back start to bleed every time I moved. Suddenly, the door to my prison opened. He came stumbling in waving a silver gun in his hand. He grabbed me by the hair and threw me against the wall. He came over and sat on my chest, pinning my arms to my side with his feet. He just chuckled as he hit me across the face with the barrel of the gun. He pressed the gun to my forehead._

"_Would you like me to end your life, whore?" he asked, chuckling darkly._

"_No," I whispered, through my tears. "Please don't."_

"_You don't want me to pull the trigger and let the bullet split your head open?" he chuckled, cocking back the hammer._

"_No, I don't want to die. Please don't kill me," I begged. He laughed heartily at me before he pulled the trigger. The gun clicked causing me to flinch. _

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!" I cried out. _

"_Aw, my little whore, you don't get off that easy," he chuckled._

_He climbed off of me and threw me against another wall. I laid there sobbing as he came over and kicked me. He pushed me over on my back and slammed himself into me. I screamed out at the pain as he forced himself in me over and over and over. He punched me hard in my stomach, causing me to have trouble breathing through my sobs. He laughed as he pulled out and threw me across the room again. I felt my head hit the wall. He came over and kicked me again. He threw me so that I was bent over the table and slammed himself into my ass. _

"_AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH. PLEASE STOP. IT HURTS. PLEASE KILL ME. I WANT TO DIE NOW!" I screamed as he thrust himself in and out of me. _

"BELLA! WAKE UP!" shouted Garrett.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I screamed as I snapped my eyes open and saw everyone standing in my room. I scrambled to the bathroom and started vomiting. Garrett came in and held my hair as I dried heaved several times. Eventually, I melted into his arms and sobbed.

"Please…make…him…go…away," I sobbed. "He…won't leave…me…alone."

"He isn't here, Bella. He isn't going to hurt you again. You have to push him out of your head, honey," whispered Garrett.

"I don't know how," I whispered.

"I know you don't, honey. That is what we are going to work on," said Garrett. "We will figure it out."

"Garrett?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," I whispered.

"Don't thank me yet. You will hate me again soon enough," he chuckled. "Let's go get some breakfast."

"Ok." I muttered. I pulled away and got up and went back into my room.

"Bella," said Garrett, slopping in the doorway to my room. I looked over at him.

"What?"

"I promise not to give up on you."

Garrett turned and walked out of my room closing the door behind him. I stood there for a moment before I pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower. I dried off and got dressed. I pulled on my fingerless glove and went down to the dining hall. I went over and grabbed a muffin and went sat down next to Tanya. I pulled my knees to my chest and nibbled on my muffin.

"So Bella, where are you from?" asked Tanya.

"I grew up in Washington state until I was kidnapped. I was in Arizona until a week ago," I muttered.

"They just found you a week ago?" asked Maggie.

"No, the police found me two months ago. I was so malnourished when they found me that I had to spend two months in the hospital being pumped full of calories and vitamins."

"Oh," she whispered.

"So, where are you all from?" I asked.

"I am from Alaska," said Tanya.

"Texas here," said Charlotte.

"Iowa." said Heidi.

"New York," said Maggie. "What's with the one glove?"

"The man who kidnapped me broke my hand one night after he raped me. He had thrown a beer bottle against the wall and when he stomped down on my hand, I got cut," I explained, tucking my hand in between my knees and the rest of my body. "I don't like to show my scars."

"Oh," she whispered softly.

"Ladies, how are you this morning?" asked Garrett as he came in.

"About the same," mumbled Maggie.

"I'm tired," said Tanya.

"Me too," said Heidi, looking over at me.

"Sorry if I fucking kept you up last night," I snapped.

"I didn't mean anything," mumbled Heidi.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Tanya, you are meeting with Kate first then with Charlotte. Maggie, you have clean up duty this week then you need to meet with Liam. Heidi, Felix is waiting for in the music room. Bella, you are with me."

"Super," I grumbled.

I got up and tossed my barely eaten muffin in the trash and followed Garrett out. He led me down a stone path to the infirmary. He motioned for me to go on in. I walked in and he shut the door behind me.

"Bella, I need to check the cuts on your back. You need to take off your shirt."

"No," I whispered as I began to shake.

"Bella, I need to make sure the cuts aren't getting infected."

"NO…NO…YOU…CAN'T…" I started to hyperventilate.

"Bella, calm down. Come on, deep breathes. Would you feel better if Kate was with us?" he asked. I nodded my head. "Ok, lets go to her room."

Garrett led me back out to the hallway and to a room had soft music playing. He opened the door and pushed me in. Kate and Tanya were sitting on the floor meditating. When they heard us come in they both turned and looked at us.

"Kate, I need you for a moment in your office," said Garrett as he pulled me into a small office in the back of the room. Kate came in and shut the door.

"Ok, what do you need?" she asked.

"I need to check some cuts that Bella received five days ago at school. She-"

"Wait, I got those cuts, the day before yesterday."

"No, when you tried to kill yourself, you slept for two days. Today is September seventh."

"What?" I barely was able to whisper as my eyes filled with tears.

"Today is September seventh. Bella, what's the matter?" asked Garrett. My entire body was shaking as I fell to my knees and started screaming.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH."

"BELLA! STOP!" shouted Garrett.

I felt my eyes roll in the back of my head as my body started shaking even more. I started thrashing around on the ground when I felt someone come over and hold my arms down. I sobbed as I remembered that day. The day my life ended.

_I was walking down the street towards the library when a black car pulled up next to me. Suddenly, I felt someone grab me and pull me toward the car. I kicked my feet to try to get away but the person just picked me up and threw me inside. I hit my head on the car window. I pulled at the handle but I couldn't get the door open. I saw a man running toward us, screaming for him to let me go. The man who had grabbed me got in after me and started speeding through town. I screamed and tried to kick him._

"_PLEASE LET ME OUT OF THE CAR. MY MOM IS GOING TO BE MAD AT ME IF I AM LATE!" I screamed. He reached over and grabbed my arm roughly and tried to pull me over to him "DON'T TOUCH ME. GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME."_

"_Calm down, whore," he sneered as he dug his fingers in to my arm painfully._

"_PLEASE I NEED EDWARD. PLEASE LET ME GO HOME. DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME YOU FUCKING OLD MAN," I screamed. "MY DADDY IS GOING TO STOP YOU. HE IS THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND HE WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT."_

"_Your daddy will never see you again. You are my whore now," he sneered._

"_I WANT MY DADDY. I WANT MY MOMMY. I WANT MY EDWARD. PLEASE TAKE ME BACK TO FORKS!" I screamed. "I NEED EM, J, ROSIE,ALI. PLEASE LET ME GO."_

"_SHUT THE FUCK UP," he bellowed at me. "YOU STUPID LITTLE BITCH."_

"_PLEASE LET ME GO HOME. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!" I screamed as tears poured out of my eyes. "I HAVE A MATH TEST TOMORROW. I PROMISED TO HELP EDWARD STUDY."_

_He reached over and shoved a cloth over my mouth and nose. I tried to push him away but he was stronger than I was. I slowly felt the darkness take over me as my breathing calmed down._

**Thank you for all the reviews. Garrett's POV will be coming up next. **


	25. Chapter 25

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

GPOV

"Kate, I need you for a moment in your office," I said as I pulled Bella into a small office in the back of the room. Kate came in and shut the door.

"Ok, what do you need?" she asked.

"I need to check some cuts that Bella received five days ago at school. She-"

"Wait, I got those cuts the day before yesterday," said Bella. She looked confused

"No, when you tried to kill yourself, you slept for two days. Today is September seventh," I explained

"What?" She barely whispered.

"Today is September seventh. Bella, what's the matter?" I asked. Bella's entire body began to shake as she fell to her knees and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH."

"BELLA! STOP!" I shouted. Bella's eyes roll in the back of her head as her body started shaking even more. She started thrashing around on the ground. I knelt down and held Bella's arms down as she started sobbing.

"PLEASE LET ME OUT OF THE CAR. MY MOM IS GOING TO BE MAD AT ME IF I AM LATE!" Bella screamed. "DON'T TOUCH ME. GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME."

"Kate, get her parents on the phone for me now," I snapped. Bella was trashing around and shaking violently. What was it about today that set her off?

"PLEASE I NEED EDWARD. PLEASE LET ME GO HOME. DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME YOU FUCKING OLD MAN!" Bella screamed. "MY DADDY IS GOING TO STOP YOU. HE IS THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND HE WILL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT."

"Here Garrett," muttered Kate. She leaned down and whispered in Bella's ear. "He isn't here, Bella. He isn't here."

"I WANT MY DADDY. I WANT MY MOMMY. I WANT MY EDWARD. PLEASE TAKE ME BACK TO FORKS!" Bella screamed. "I NEED EM, J, ROSIE,ALI. PLEASE LET ME GO."

"Charlie, why would the seventh of this month set Bella off?" I asked as I put the phone to my ear and tried to keep Bella from hurting herself.

"Bella was kidnapped six years ago today," said Charlie. God damn it.

"WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T SOMEONE MENTION THAT BEFORE I LEFT WITH HER?" I snapped.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" screamed Bella.

"We didn't think it mattered," huffed Charlie. Stupid fucking people.

"OF COURSE, IT FUCKING MATTERS. CAN'T YOU HEAR HER?" I shouted into the phone.

"Is she going to be ok?" asked Charlie "Can you help her?"

"YOU HAD BETTER FUCKING HOPE I CAN BRING HER BACK FROM THIS!" I snapped before I slammed the phone down.

"PLEASE LET ME GO HOME. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!" Bella screamed as tears poured out of her eyes. "I HAVE A MATH TEST TOMORROW. I PROMISED TO HELP EDWARD STUDY."

"Bella, deep breaths, honey, take a deep breath, that's a girl, in and out, in and out…" whispered Kate.

Bella slowly fell into a deep sleep. I swept her into my arms and motioned for Kate to followed me. Tanya looked frightened from hearing Bella's screams and I understood why she was. Bella was relieving the moment that changed her life. I carried Bella down to my office and laid her down on the couch. I covered her with a blanket before I pulled Kate into the back corner.

"She was kidnapped six years ago today," I whispered.

"They didn't tell you this before you brought her here?" whispered Kate.

"No, they don't seem to have a clue at all about she is really feeling. Her friends, the Edward, Em, J, Rosie, Ali, she was screaming for, were the only ones in the meeting that really fought to keep her there. The others just seemed to be lost," I muttered.

"Garrett, are you going to be able to break her down?" whispered Kate.

"Yes, I can see a few cracks already. She is ready to do it. She just doesn't know how," I whispered.

"Ok, but are you going to able to handle this? She went through a lot of the same things you did."

"I think she went through worse than I did. I think we are her last chance, Kate."

"I just hope we can help her," whispered Kate. "I'll check in on her later."

"I love you, baby," I whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

I sat down at my desk and reviewed the file I had on Bella. Isabella Marie Swan was born on September thirteenth to Charlie and Renee Swan. She and her twin brother, Emmett McCarty Swan, were best friend with twins, Edward Anthony and Mary Alice Cullen as well as with twins, Jasper Whitlock and Rosalie Lillian Hale. All three sets of twins were born on the same day all with in the same hour. Rosalie and Jasper Hale first, followed thirty minutes later by Edward and Alice Cullen, then thirty minutes after them was Emmett and Isabella Swan. The six kids were incredibly close since the day of their birth.

Bella was last seen walking to the library by a passing motorist who thought they saw her getting pulled into a black car. For five years and nine months not one shred of light was shone on the Isabella Swan case. Then two months ago, the police killed a man named Phil Dwyer in a shoot out when he tried to rob a bank. The police then proceeded to search his house when they found a young girl locked in the cellar. She was naked, scarred, and covered in filth. When the police spoke to the girl, she refused to say anything. One of the police officers reached out and grabbed her hand. The young girl freaked out and tried to attack the police officer. He had to restrain her until she passed out.

Once they got her to the hospital, they took her prints. They ran them through the data base for the Center of Missing and Exploited Kids and Isabella Swan was found. She was extremely malnourished, barely weighing eighty pounds. She was covered in scars and had signs of extreme physical and sexual violence. Her attacker had somehow performed a hysterectomy on her. When she woke up in the hospital, Emmett went against the orders of the doctors and pulled her restrains off. Bella refused to tell the doctors, police or her parents what happened in the five plus years she was gone. The only person she confided in was Emmett. Two months later, still barely healthy, she and her family boarded a flight back to Forks, Washington.

That is what my 'official' file says. My personal notes from the two days that I have spent with Bella are slightly more involved. Judge Aro Volturi in Arizona contacted me after he let her go home with her family. I immediately called Carlisle Cullen. He was listed as Bella's primary doctor. I needed him to be aware that I was watching her. I arranged for Peter Davis to teach in Bella's school in order to watch not only her but her friends. Not a one of them had been dealing with Bella's kidnapping. He called me after his class with her and told me that she was fixing to break. He said that she was barely hanging on to her friends, who were barely hanging on to her.

After meeting with her family, I knew that Bella needed me and Kate. Charlie and Renee seemed lost at what to do for Bella. They wanted to pretend that everything was ok. It wasn't. They seemed to think that the old Bella could come back. She can't. William and Catherine Hale were even worse. They were to busy living on the edge. They wanted to help her but at the same time they were afraid to get to close in case she turned violent. Esme and Carlisle on the other hand, may be the only ones who really saw how lost Bella was, other than the kids. Carlisle is the one who contacted me the day that Bella got pushed into the glass doors at school. What she was even doing at school in the first place was beyond me, but I agreed to come and assess her condition. Then he called me when I landed at the airport and told me about her second day of school. Because the first day went so good, lets send her again. Idiots. He explained about the assembly. Some parents are such asses. He told me how Bella went out and defended her parents. That was when I knew I had to get in there. I couldn't believe that she was worried about how people were looking at her parents. Then he told me about her trig teacher. _WHAT A FUCKING ASSHOLE! _I thought to myself.

Here was a girl who had been through extreme violence for years and he pushed her over the edge by saying she deserved it. I wanted to find him and rip his nuts off but that was beside the point. That was her breaking point. She stopped being the shy, timid, afraid Bella and she became the angry, violent, out of control Bella. She was the one who needed to come out. She was the one we need to work on. When I finally had a chance to sit down with her family, I had to admit I was impressed with her friends and brother. They were the only ones who put up a fight for her to stay. The others seemed to be resigned to the fact that they couldn't help Bella, but Emmett, Edward, Jasper Alice and Rosalie were protecting her. Bella may not see it but they were trying to keep her safe. They just didn't know how. When I started speaking, I noticed how they seem to gravitate so that they were between me and her. Edward and Emmett were in the front, while Jasper was in the middle. The girls were on either side of Bella. They were flanking her. If the kids could have been the only ones with her twenty four/seven, they might have been able to help her. I was finally able to convince them that Bella was safe with me. It was interesting to me how easily her parents trusted me but her friends needed more from me.

When Bella woke up, it was just wow. She was PISSED. I knew she would be but I saw some serious rage in her eyes. I saw the hurt her in eyes when they wouldn't let her up. I saw the fear in her eyes when they wouldn't let her up. I saw the love in her eyes when she looked at Edward. I knew I had to help her for both of them. They reminded me a lot of me and Kate. They were deeply in love with each other even though they hadn't really seen each other in nearly six years. When I finally help Bella rebuild her life, I am going to make sure she and Edward are together forever. I chuckled a little at the whole situation. I looked up at the clock and noticed that the entire day was already gone. I sighed as I lifted Bella into my arms and carried her to her room. I tucked her into her bed.

"Edward…" whispered Bella in her sleep. "I'll stay strong for you…I love you, Edward, forever…"

"I'll take you back to him as soon as you are better, Bella. I promise," I whispered. I kissed her forehead. Then I went to find my wife. I needed to remind her that I love her.

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	26. Chapter 26

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

BPOV

_I was laying in the backyard in the hammock. It was one of the few warm days that Forks had. I had my eyes closed, absorbing as much as the warmth as I could. I felt the hammock shift when someone laid down next to me. I suddenly felt a tingle run through my body and I knew it was Edward. He wrapped his arms around me. I sighed and laid my head on his chest._

"_What are you doing here?" I asked. "You sent me away."_

"_I'm trying to help you, love," he said, quietly. "I didn't want to send you away but you need help; help that we couldn't give you."_

"_I need you, E. You promised not to send me away," I muttered as I let my tears fall. "You are supposed to help me."_

"_I am, B. I had to let you go so you could come back to me," he insisted. "You have to let it go."_

"_I don't know if I can," I whispered._

"_You can, love," he whispered. "I know you can."_

_Edward and I laid on the hammock for hours in silence. He kept his arms wrapped around me tightly. I didn't feel the fear or the hurt. I didn't feel the pain from years of being apart. I didn't feel alone. I didn't feel dirty. I was happy. I was safe for the first time in a long time. I looked up at Edward and pressed my lips to his. _

"_Edward?"_

"_Yes, love?"_

"_I'll stay strong for you."_

"_I love you, Bella. Never forget that. Come home to me."_

"_I love you, Edward, forever," I whispered as I fell into a peaceful sleep._

I slowly opened my eyes. I looked around and saw that I was in my room on the island. I wiped the tear from my eye when I realized that it was just a dream. Edward wasn't really here with me but somehow, I knew that every word he said was true. He really did love me. I knew that I had to try to find away to help myself before I could go back home.

I slowly got out of bed and got ready for the day. After I showered and dressed, I started down to the dining room when I noticed a room with lots of books. The door was half way open. I pushed it open and went to look at them. They were medical books like Carlisle used to have in his home office. I used to spend hours in there with him reading through them. I pulled one off the shelf and slid to the ground. I opened it up and began reading. I'm not sure how long I had been sitting there reading when I heard someone clear their throat. I jumped up and saw Garrett standing in the door.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, pushing the book back into its place on the shelf. "Please don't hurt me."

"Why would I hurt you?" asked Garrett as he came over and pulled the book back off the shelf.

"I…I…" I tried through my tears. "I shouldn't have messed with your books."

"It's fine. Although, medical books?" he asked, chuckling as he handed me the book.

"I used to read Carlisle's medical books when I was little. I would curl up in his big leather chair in his office with one of the books while he completed his notes from the hospital," I whispered. I hugged the book to my chest and let a tear fall. "It was kind of our thing."

"Wow, you must be very smart," said Garrett.

"I have a photographic memory. I never forget anything," I muttered, darkly. "Ever."

"Good, you shouldn't forget anything," he said. "Are you feeling better today?"

"I guess. What happened yesterday?" I asked.

"Well, you had a severe panic attack when you realized the date. I'm sorry about that. I had no idea or I would have handled it much better. You eventually passed out and you slept for the last twenty four hours."

"Oh," I whispered, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Are you hungry? You missed breakfast but I am sure we can find you something?" Garrett asked.

"No, I'm not much of a eater," I said softly.

"Ok, well, you are running late for Kate. I will see you when you are done with her," said Garrett.

"Ok," I whispered as I put the book back on the shelf. I turned to walk out when Garrett stopped me.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"You are welcome to read any of my books anytime you want."

"Thanks," I said.

I turned and walked out of the room. I walked down to Kate's room and pushed the door open. She was sitting in the middle of the floor with her eyes closed. She looked so peaceful and relax. I would give anything to be so carefree.

"Come on in, Bella," she said, eyes still closed.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

"Because you are the only one who would stop in the door. The other girls know to just come in and take a seat," she chuckled as she opened her eyes. She patted the matt across from her. "Come sit."

"Ok," I whispered as I went over and sat across from her. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

"Bella, I want to help you. In order for you to trust me, I need to tell you my story. Is that ok?" she asked.

"Ok."

"My sister, Irina and I were very close. We were only eleven months apart so we were practically twins. Our parents were killed in a car accident when I was twelve. We were sent to live with my uncle, who really wasn't even related to us. For the first few months, everything was ok. We were still grieving the loss of our parents but we had each other so we were ok. Then he started hitting us. Anytime we did something that he didn't like, he would beat us. The day I turned thirteen, he came into my room and raped me. He was violent and rough. When he was done, he locked me in my closest while he went and raped Irina." Kate paused and took a deep breath.

"I sat there listening to her scream for me to help her, begging me to help her. I tried to break the door down but I wasn't strong enough. For the next three years, we lived through that every night. We were to afraid to ask for help. He had made it clear to us that he would kill us if we ever did. When I was sixteen, I found out that he had gotten me pregnant. I knew that if I told him, he would kill me and Irina, so we ran away. It was luck that we even managed to get out that house. He normally kept the place locked up tight but this night he had gotten so drunk that he passed out in the hall way and Irina and I ran for it.

"We spent the next few months making our way from Missouri to New York. We spent the first few weeks, just surviving the best we could. I got a job at a small grocery store and managed to find us a cheap ass apartment but it was still hard. Irina had completely shut down into herself and I didn't know how to help her or myself. Then we met Garrett and Laurent. We fell in love with them.

"They understood what we had been through. The four of us had decided to become a family. Garrett and I got married. We were going to raise the baby together and make sure he had a better life than we did. Then I went into labor a month early. My son, Christian Eric Mitchell, lived for 69 hours. He was so tiny. I know that Garrett told you about Laurent and Irina killing themselves. I blamed myself for not being strong enough to keep her safe, to keep my son alive." Kate wiped the tears off her face.

"One day, I was in the bathroom when I slipped on some water that was on the floor. I threw my hand out to break my fall. My hand went through the window. I pulled my arm out and watched the blood pouring down my arm. For a moment I was confused because I should have felt the pain from the glass but I didn't. I turned and walked out to the living room. Garrett looked up and me with this look of terror on his face. He threw me in the car and drove me to the ER. I had four cuts on my arm from the glass." Kate held out her arm and showed me the scars. "As I was laying in that bed, Garrett started sobbing. I reached over with my good arm and pulled him into the bed with me. We laid there and let it go. We went to see a therapist together. It wasn't easy. It wasn't fun but we managed to work through the pain. Bella, if you let us help you, we can help you get through the pain, too."

"I really want to. I'm just so scared," I whispered. "I feel like I am in knots all the time."

"I am going to try to teach you some relaxation techniques. I want you to closed your eyes and take a deep breath," she said. I closed my eyes but saw his cold black eyes staring back at me. I felt my body start to shake.

"NO!"I screamed as I snapped my eyes.

"Close your eyes, Bella. When you see him, I want to you think of the place that makes you the happiest," said Kate. I closed my eyes. He was standing in front of me again. He was laughing as he reached out for me.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed.

"Look past him, Bella. What do you see behind him? Don't let him win." whispered Kate, placing her hands on my knees. "Don't give up, Bella."

I clenched my fist and pushed him away from me. I looked past him and saw a light down a tunnel. I started running toward the light. I stepped out and found myself in my backyard. Edward was laying on the hammock. He reached his arms out to me. I went to walk over to him when I felt the arms pulling me back into the darkness.

"NOOOO, I WANT EDWARD. LET ME GO!" I screamed as I fought against the arms.

"Bella, he isn't there. Push him out of your head," ordered Kate. I tried to push him out but he just kept pulling me back into the darkness.

"I can't. I want to go back," I cried. "I want Edward."

"Yes, you can Bella. Push him out," she said, urging me to keep going. I turned and pushed him away from me.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE ME ANYMORE!" I screamed at him. "I WAS NEVER YOURS TO TAKE. DON'T EVER COME BACK."

He fell further and further back with every word I screamed at him. I felt Edward wrap his arms around me. I sighed as I fell back into his embrace. Edward lowered his lips down to my ear, "I'm waiting for you at home, love."

"E, I love you. I will be back. I promise," I whispered.

"I love you too, B, always," he whispered as he faded away.

I slowly opened my eyes. I was laying on the floor with my arms wrapped around my chest. Kate and Garrett were sitting there watching me. I sat up and wiped the tears off my face.

"Bella, tell me about what happened," said Garrett.

"When I closed my eyes, I saw him there. He's always there; touching me, hurting me over and over again. Edward was waiting for me but he tried to pull me back into the darkness. I told him I wasn't his, I was never his and he disappeared."

"Bella, how did you live through all of it?" asked Garrett. "What got you through it?"

"Every time he would be hurting me, I tried to focus on Edward. I have been in love with him for as long as I can remember," I whispered as my tears began to fall. "When I was in the darkness, I would imagine that Edward was sitting next to me. He would wrap him arms around me and just whispered to me that I was ok. I was still alive. He would whisper that someday he would find me. I fought for him."

"Bella, when you get scared, I want you to imagine that Edward is wrapping his arms around you. I want you to let him fight him for you," said Kate. "Can you do that?"

"I don't know." I whispered, shaking my head. "What if Edward gets hurt?"

"Honey, he can't get hurt. That monster is gone," said Garrett.

"He said he was going to bring Edward to me and make me watch him kill him. I can't lose him."

"He can't hurt Edward, honey," insisted Garrett. "Bella, you have to let him go."

"I'm trying," I snapped as I jumped up. "I can't let them get hurt. I can't leave and let them get hurt. He said…."

"What did he say?" asked Garrett, standing up. "Talk to me, honey. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"He came in with this cake. He threw me on the bed and told me that we were celebrating our anniversary. It was exactly a year after he took me. He held me down while he shoved cake into my mouth until I started to choke. He just laughed when I fell off the bed crying, trying to catch my breath. He went over and opened the door and step away. He said if you want to leave, you can. I stood up and walked over to the door. I was fixing to step out when he said of course, as soon as you step out of the door, I am going to go find Alice. I stood there in the doorway for what felt like ever. I could see the sun shining through the window upstairs. I really wanted to leave but then I closed my eyes. I saw Alice laying in the dark, bruised, broken, begging for me to help her. I couldn't do it. I had to protect her. So I let my tears fall as I fell to my knees and crawled away from my freedom," I whispered as I let my tears fall freely. "Every year, it was the same thing. Every year, I wanted to leave so badly but then I would see Alice or Rose, Renee, Esme, Cat. I saw them all living in the dark and I couldn't let that happen. So I took it for them. Everyday, I let him hurt me so he wouldn't hurt them."

I turned and ran out of the room. I ran down to the music room and sat down at the piano. I had never told anyone about that, not Emmett or Edward, or any of the others about that. I pulled my knees to my chest and started sobbing. I missed them so much. I knew I needed to do this alone but I wanted them to help me. I wanted them to save me. I wanted them to protect me. I felt Garrett come over and pull me into his chest. I let go and just sobbed.

Once I managed to stop crying, I pulled back and placed my hands down on the keys. "Do you play?" he asked.

"I used to," I muttered, looking down at my left hand. "He broke my hand one night after he raped me. I used to love to play the piano."

"Have you tried to play?" he asked.

"No." I shook my head.

"Try."

I sighed as I placed my fingers on the keys again. I closed my eyes and began to play the only song I could remember. It was Claire De Lune. After a few notes, I felt a shooting pain through my left hand. I slammed my hands on the keys.

"IT"S NOT FAIR!" I screamed. "I WANT MY LIFE BACK. I WANT MY FAMILY BACK. I WANT MY EDWARD BACK. HE HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE ME FROM THEM."

"I know that it's not fair, honey. You gave up a lot for your family. I know it feels like they have abandoned you here but, honey, they are doing this to help you. They want to protect you. They fought me about letting you come. They didn't want to let you go, honey. They can't protect you anymore. You have to do this for you. Are you ready to heal?"

"Yes," I whispered as I sobbed. "I don't want to hurt anymore. I am so tired of hurting."

"Good, then lets get started," he whispered.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I truly appreciate it. Next chapter skips forward a few months. **


	27. Chapter 27

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

For the next three months, I slowly began to heal. The day after my breakdown in the music room, Garrett convinced me to let him take out my stitches. Kate held my hand and we cried together over each scar, each a lasting reminder of my pain. Garrett cried with us and the three of us bonded. I knew I could trust them; I was trusting them with my life. I got to know the other girls. They were really nice. They had been scarred much deeper than I thought they had when I first meet them. Tanya went home a few weeks after I got there. Heidi went home a month later. Maggie was still here with me. She was joining the staff here since she didn't have any family waiting for her. She and Liam are in love, I think.

Over the last few months, I weaved myself into life here in Brazil. I worked in the kitchen a lot. I loved working with Didyme. She was married to Marcus, one of the life coaches here. She was a fantastic cook. I always loved to cook. She taught me several new recipes that I knew my family would like. I made them my chocolate marshmallow brownies. I thought they were going to gorge themselves on them. Cooking was one of the few things that I felt at peace doing. I slowly began to eat more and more. I started gaining a little bit of weight. I finally got some color on my face. I still didn't like to show my arms or legs but at least the sun was seen on my face.

Once I got the stitches out, Kate started teaching me Judo. I spent hours learning techniques to make me feel safe. I found it a great way to get my aggression out without actually hurting myself. I felt stronger and in better control of my life. My body was toned and fit for the first time ever. Kate and I would spar with each other until it go to the point that I beat her every time. Then Garrett started sparring with me. At first, he could take me down pretty quickly. He never hurt me but he didn't hold much back either. I think he enjoyed it a little too much. After two months on the island, I kicked his ass. I gloated and did a happy dance. He just laughed and told me I was a smartass.

I still had to go to school. Garrett spent hours teaching me college level Spanish, biology, advance trig, chemistry and anything else he could get his hands on. I don't think he really believed me when I told him I had a photographic memory. After I managed to get through three semesters worth of Biology in a week, he believed me. He made me go back into the music room everyday and play the piano. Everyday I felt the pain in my hand but everyday it got a little easier. I enjoyed playing again. I knew I would never be able to play like I used to but at least I could enjoy it again.

I had a lot of set backs in my sessions. I realized that while my friends helped me in my few short days at home, our parents smothered me. I told Kate how I felt like I had to pretend have it together so I wouldn't be a burden on any of them. I realized that I was just masking the pain. It felt like with every step forward I took, I was pushed two steps back. Garrett was patient but he didn't take any of my crap. When I would yell and scream for him to leave me alone, he would yell and scream right back at me. He told me numerous times to stop acting like a baby and get over it. I wanted to hurt him but I knew I couldn't. I wanted to hurt myself but I knew I shouldn't. Everyday it got a little easier.

Finally after three months, I feel almost happy for the first time in six years. I was sitting in the music room, playing the piano, when Garrett came in and sat down next to me.

"You are getting really good," chuckled Garrett.

"Thank you." I smiled. "I like being able to play again."

"Good," he smiled, nodding his head. "Bella, we need to talk about something."

"Ok," I said as I stopped playing. I turned to look at him. "What is it?"

"I think you are ready to go home," he said softly. "But first you need to do one more thing."

"What?" I whispered.

"You have to go back to that room," he whispered. I felt all the color drain from my face.

"Why?" I barely whispered.

"You need to say goodbye. You need closure," he explained, placing his hand on my back.

"I…I can't go back there," I muttered, looking away from him. "I can't do it. If I go back there, I won't be able to leave again."

"Yes, you can. Kate and I are going to be right there with you," said Garrett. "Bella, you can do this."

I looked over at him. "You won't leave me alone?" I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.

"No, honey, we won't leave you alone," he murmured as he pulled me into his arms. "I promise."

"Ok, I'll go," I cried softly. "I'll go back to that room."

"Good girl, honey. Go pack because we leave in an hour," he said. "You won't be coming back here. I am going to take you back home."

"Ok," I whispered.

I got up and went back to my room. I quickly packed my bags. I was excited and nervous about going back home. I wasn't sure that everyone was going to welcome me back after all the horrible things that I said to them the day Garrett brought me here. I carried my bags out to the dining room. I went in and saw Garrett, Kate, Maggie, Liam, Charlotte, Didyme, and Marcus waiting for me. I ran over and pulled Maggie and Charlotte into my arms.

"I'm going to miss you both so much," I cried.

"We will miss you too, Bella," cried Charlotte. "We love you."

"You stay strong, Bella," whispered Maggie. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered. I turned and hugged Didyme next.

"Thank you for everything, Di," I whispered. "I will miss you so much."

"I will miss you too, Bella," murmured Didyme.

"Bella, take care of yourself," said Marcus, giving me a side hug.

"I will," I said as I wiped my tears off my face.

"Bella, let's go," said Garrett.

"Ok."

Garrett, Kate and I took my bags down to the docks. We loaded onto the boat and made the twenty mile trip to the mainland. We road in silence. I let my tears fall as I left my safe haven behind me. I had fought Garrett when he brought me here but it ended up being just the place for me to be. We loaded onto the private plane. As we took off, I closed my eyes and dreamed of seeing my Edward again. This time, I wasn't going to let him go.

I was shaken awake when I felt the plane touch down. I took a deep breath and followed Garrett and Kate off. They led me into the airport. We had taken about twenty steps when I saw his wild auburn hair. I stopped in my tracks. Standing fifty feet from me was Edward.

He was holding a bouquet of blue roses in his hand. He saw me and started to smile. For a moment, I just stood there and looked at him. Finally, I threw my bags down and ran up to him and threw my arms and legs around him. He threw his arms around me and fell to his knees. I leaned back and pressed my lips to his hard. After a few minutes, I pulled away but left my forehead press against his.

"I love you so much, E. I am so sorry I pushed you away," I whispered as I let my tears fall. Only this time they were tears of happiness.

"I love you, B. I have always loved you. I am so glad you are back in my arms," he whispered as he cried with me.

"I spent every night in your arms, my love," I whispered as I kissed him again. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Garrett called and asked me to meet you here. He said you needed me," said Edward.

"I have to go back to that room," I whispered, frowning.

"I know, love. I'm not letting go of you. I promise," murmured Edward.

"I know," I muttered as we stood up. I turned and looked back at Garrett and Kate. They were sitting on a bench watching us with smiles on their faces. I pulled Edward over to them. "Thank you, Garrett."

"You're welcome, honey. You needed him to do this. I think Edward needs to do this, too," said Garrett as he hugged me.

"I am guessing you are Edward," chuckled Kate as she stuck out her hand to Edward. "I'm Kate, Garrett's wife."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kate," chuckled Edward.

"Well, we had better get to the hotel and get checked in," said Garrett.

Garrett and Edward picked up our bags, and led us out of the airport. I spent the entire ride to the hotel in Edward's arms while Kate and Garrett laughed every time I sighed but I didn't care. I was in my happy place again. I knew as long as I had Edward I could face that room again. As long as I had Edward, I could face anything. Together, we would face anything. He would be mine forever just as I would be his forever. We pulled up in front of the hotel and went inside. Garrett went to check us in while the rest of us settled on one of the couches. A few minutes later, he motioned for us to follow him up the elevator to the fifth floor. He stopped in front of one of the rooms while Kate went over to the next room. He grinned as he handed Edward a key.

"We will see you two in the morning at eight on the dot," said Garrett.

"You are letting us stay in the same room?" I asked.

"Yes, you need to spend some time together," smirked Garrett. "I just don't want to hear any sex noises so at least be quiet. Don't moan too loud, honey."

"GARRETT!" I screamed as I hit him in the arm.

"Damn it, Bella. I was fucking kidding. I am going to bruise from that," grumbled Garrett rubbing his arm.

"Good," I chuckled. "We will see you in the morning."

"Bright and early for breakfast, honey," chuckled Garrett.

I rolled my eyes and pulled the key out of Edward's hand and opened the door. I walked in and pulled a confused looking Edward behind me. We put our bags on the floor and I pulled him to the bed. We laid down and I sighed as I rested my head in Edward's chest. I was finally home.

"E?"

"Yes?"

"How are they doing?" I whispered.

"They are doing ok. They miss you like crazy. Em, Rosie, J, Ali and I started seeing a therapist after you left. We needed to heal ourselves. It's been hard but I think we are better now. We all had a lot of bottle up frustrations to work out. They were all pretty pissed that they couldn't come with me but Garrett said it had to be just me."

"How are Charlie and Renee?"

"They are fine, love. We have all been seeing a therapist. Will, Cat, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie and Renee join Emmett, Rose, Alice and I in group therapy every week. Charlie and Renee go two other times a week also. So do Carlisle and Esme. I don't know about Will and Cat but I think they do too. They are learning to let you help yourself. It hasn't been easy for them but I think they are ok."

"Were they mad at me after everything I said that day?" I asked through my tears.

"No, love. We know you didn't mean it. You were hurting. We understood," he whispered. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great. For the first time in years, I feel like I have some control over my life. It was really hard at first. I was so angry about it all. I felt like you all had abandoned me but I know that's not true now. I needed to get help. Slowly, I was able to focus my anger on other things until I was able to let it go completely."

"That's great, B."

"I couldn't have done it without you, E," I whispered. "When I felt the panic coming, I imagined that you were wrapping your arms around me. You kept me safe and I could find the strength to let it go."

"I will always be here for you, B. I will always love you," he whispered.

"I will always love you too." I whispered.

We stayed wrapped in each other's arms all night. We talked more about the resort. I told him about my first couple days there. I told him about the day my captor took me. I opened up about how I felt so ashamed and dirty. I told him about trying to play the piano for the first time, how much it hurt. We talked about how I learned Judo. He wanted to see me take Garrett down. Eventually we fell into a comfortable silence. I listened to his breathing as I fell into a peaceful sleep wrapped in the arms of my love.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Coming up next: Bella faces that room again. Do you think she will be ok?**


	28. Chapter 28

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

The next morning, I woke to Edward kissing the back of my neck. I turned around and pressed my lips to his. I realized that if I was ever going to trust Edward completely that I needed to let him see me. I pulled back and sat up.

"E, you know how much I love you, right?" I whispered.

"Yes, I do. Why?" he asked.

"Well, I was just thinking that I want to show you my scars. All of them," I whispered.

"B, you don't have to," he said as he grabbed my hand.

"I know but I won't be able to trust you completely until I do. I know that we will be together forever. One day when we are both ready, we will want to have sex. I want you to see my scars now instead of then."

"Ok, if you are sure, but B, one day I will marry you. I want you forever. I am not letting you go ever again," he said, quietly.

"Good," I chuckled. "You are stuck with me, anyway."

Edward just laughed nervously. I took a deep breath and stood up. I closed my eyes as I pulled my shirt off and dropped it to the ground. I expected to hear his gasp or say something but he didn't. I opened my eyes and saw that Edward was standing in front of me. He reached out and ran his hands over the scars on my stomach. He walked around me and ran his fingers over the scars on my back and arms. I slowly pulled my pants off. I stood there in just my bra and panties, with tears pouring down my face, as Edward looked me over. I expected to see a look of disgust or pain on his face but instead I saw love. He reached out and gently lifted me onto the bed. He looked me in the eyes as he reached for the front clasp of my bra. I knew he was asking permission for him to continue. I nodded my head softly. Edward gently unclasped my bra and took it off of me so that I was laying there in just my panties.

"So beautiful," he murmured.

Edward traced the lines of my body with his hands as he follows with his lips. I could feel my core heating up with every touch, with every kiss on my body. Edward eased my panties down my legs. As he continued to explore my body with his month, his fingers found their way to my core. He ran a finger down my wet slit and nudged my legs apart while still keeping his eyes locked onto mine. I propped myself on my elbows and watch as Edward, made his way down my abdomen until his head was between my legs. Edward was still looking up at me as he ran his tongue across my slit. I gasped at Edward's touch. He continued to devour my hot wet core. He pushed two fingers into my warm pussy as he nibbled on my clit. I arched my back, which just pulled Edward closer into me. I could feel the tension building in my stomach as I felt my orgasm coming. Edward increased pace as he thrusts his fingers into my hot core. He sucked on my clit as my walls clenched around his fingers.

"Oh, E, fuck yes," I moaned softly as I came hard and fast.

"B, you taste so fucking good." Edward licked up all of my juices as I started to come down from my high. He kissed his way back up my body and kissed me hard. "Do you believe I want you now? I have never wanted a woman the way I want you, B. I want all of you. Your scars are beautiful. You are beautiful."

"Thank you Edward. You made me feel beautiful for the first time in a long time," I said as I reached for Edward's pants.

"No, Bella, this was about you. When we are both ready, I will make love to you. I promise, love. We had better get dressed. They are going to want to leave soon."

Edward carried me into the bathroom and stripped out of his cloths. We took a shower together. It was the most intimate experience of my life. I knew at that moment that I could trust Edward with my life. I didn't want to go back to that room but I knew I had to go back if ever was going to truly be able to move on with my life. I had to face the darkness one more time. With Edward's help, I knew I could do it. After we showered, we quickly got dressed. We took our luggage downstairs and meet up with Garrett and Kate. We checked out and decided to stop for breakfast. We found a small diner not far from the hotel.

"Bella, you doing ok?" asked Garrett after we ordered our breakfast..

"I'm pretty nervous but I know I need to do this," I muttered. "I'm just scared."

"What are you scared of?" asked Garrett.

"I'm scared that he will be waiting for me. I'm scared that he will hurt Edward. I'm scared that I won't be able to leave."

"Ok, those are understandable fears. That is what the fear is telling you. What is your heart telling you, honey?" asked Garrett.

"My heart is telling me that I will be ok. It's telling me that I have to trust myself. It's telling me that he doesn't control me anymore," I said firmly.

"Good girl." Garrett smiled. "You hold on to those and you will be fine, honey."

Our waitress brought our food over to us. Edward chuckled quietly when he saw how much I ate. I just stuck my tongue out at him while Garrett and Kate laughed at us. I was hungry. After we paid our bill, we loaded into the car and headed to the room. I leaned over and laid my head on Edward's shoulder as we drove to the house.

Garrett pulled up in front of a broken down white house. The paint was chipped and the yard was full of old cars and other crap. We just sat there for a few minutes, looking at the place that I had spent nearly six years of my life in. I took a deep breath and opened the car door and climbed out of the car. Edward climbed out after me. He wrapped his arm around me as Garrett and Kate climbed out. The police tape was still hanging across the door as we walked up to the porch. I pulled it off and pushed the door open. I was hit by the smell of rot and dust. The four of us slowly made our way into the house. He had let it run down. The wallpaper was peeling, the carper was torn in several places. The furniture was covered in newspapers and trash.

Garrett led me into the kitchen. It was disgusting. It looked like nobody had cleaned in here for years. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the back stairs to an iron door. There were three deadbolt locks on the door. I never stood a chance. I felt my body start shaking as I reached out and pushed the door open. I felt Edward wrap his arm around my waist tighter as Garrett pulled me into the room. I felt the tears fall down my face as I stepped into the pitch black room. I reached over and turned on the light. I heard Edward and Kate both gasp as they saw the room I had been held in.

Against one wall was the bed he used to rape me on. There were blood stains over nearly the entire mattress. The straps he used on my arms and feet were still attached to the bed. I looked over against another wall and saw the chains that he used when he would whip me. On the floor beneath them, was a pile of dried blood. His whip was sitting in the middle of it. I looked over at the table where he would chain me up and let the men rape me. The chains were still there, covered with my blood. I walked over to the corner that I spent the most time in. I kneeled down and let out a sob at the blood stains that had soaked into the cement. Edward came over and wrapped his arms around me.

"You will never fucking hurt me again," I whispered.

"Louder," said Garrett.

"You will never fucking hurt me again," I said a little louder.

"Louder, Bella."

"You will never fucking hurt me again," I said ever louder.

"LOUDER!" yelled Garrett. "TELL HIM, BELLA. TELL HIM!"

"YOU WILL NEVER FUCKING HURT ME AGAIN!" I screamed, beating my fists onto the floor. "YOU WILL NEVER FUCKING HURT ME AGAIN!"

"AGAIN!" yelled Garrett.

"YOU WILL NEVER FUCKING HURT ME AGAIN!" I screamed. "YOU ARE A MONSTER. I FUCKING HATE YOU FOR TAKING ME FROM MY FAMILY. I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!"

"Good girl, honey," whispered Garrett as he kneeled down next to me and Edward. "Edward, it's your turn. What do you have to say to him?"

"You can't have her. She's mine. She was never yours," whispered Edward.

"Louder," said Garrett.

"You can't have her. She's mine. She was never yours," said Edward.

"LOUDER, EDWARD. TELL HIM WHAT HE TOOK FROM YOU!" shouted Garrett.

"YOU CAN'T FUCKING HAVE HER. SHE'S MINE. SHE WAS NEVER YOURS!" shouted Edward. "YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO PUT YOUR FUCKING HANDS ON HER. SHE DIDN'T WANT YOU. SHE NEEDED ME, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT."

"Good job. It's time to go," whispered Garrett.

We stood up and he grabbed Kate's hand and walked out of the room. I grabbed Edward's hand and walked to the door. I stopped before I stepped over the threshold. I felt my body shake as I stood in the doorway. I closed my eyes and saw Alice, then Rose, Esme, Renee, Cat, begging for me to help them.

"NOOOOO."I whispered, stepping backwards. "Don't hurt them."

"Bella, make the choice, honey," said Garrett. "He can't hurt them if you choose to leave. He can't hurt them anymore."

"I can do this," I muttered as I opened my eyes. "He can't hurt them."

"Bella," whispered Edward. I looked up at him. "Let's go home."

"Let's go home," I whispered. I stepped over the threshold as I let my tears fall again. "Let's go home."

The four of ran out of the house as fast as we could and climbed into the car. I laid my head against Edward's chest and just let myself cry while Garrett drove us to the airport. I felt so free. For the first time in six years, I felt free. I knew it was still going to be hard at times but I knew I could do it. I was ready to go home. I was finally able to move on and be normal or at least as normal as I can be. We pulled up in front of the airport and loaded on to the plane. After we took off, I looked over at Edward.

"E, I need to tell you something I have only told Garrett and Kate about when he had me," I muttered.

"Ok," he said softly."A year after he took me, he offered to let me go," I started. Edward opened his mouth to speak but I put my hand up. "He told me I could leave but just as I was fixing to walk out of the room, he said that if I left, that he would bring Ali in. I couldn't let that happen, E. So I stayed and every year he offered to let me go but said that if I did he would bring Rosie or Esme. My mom or Cat. I wanted to leave so bad." I paused and wiped the tears off my face. "I think that I blamed you all for a long time for making me stay with him. I know that you didn't but in my mind, if I didn't take it then he would turn to one of the others. I told myself that I was protecting them but when I came home, I was mad. I wanted someone to protect me but you couldn't. I just needed you to know that before we get home because I am going to have to tell them, too."

"Bella, it wasn't fair that he used any of us against you. They won't blame you for not leaving. You made the choice to leave today and that is all that matters," said Edward as he wiped my tears away.

"Bella, he's right. I am so proud of you for letting go today, honey," smiled Garrett.

"Thank you. It felt good to finally tell him to go to hell," I chuckled.

"I know. It felt good when I did it too," chuckled Garrett.

We landed at the Forks airport just after six that night. I was very nervous about seeing my family again. We climbed into the rental car and headed to the house. Five minutes later, we pulled up in front of my house. We sat in the car for a few minutes. I saw the curtains move in the living room and new that everyone was waiting for us. I took a deep breath and climbed out of the car. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist while Garrett wrapped his around my shoulder. Slowly, the four of us walked up the front steps. I reached out and opened the door. We walked in and I found my family waiting for me just like they did last time. Only this time, I was better. I felt my eyes fill with tears as I walked over and wrapped my arms around my parents.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So, I really debated on whether or not to have Edward explore her body like he did. In the end, I felt that Bella needed to know before she went into that room that Edward wanted her, all of her. I hope that makes sense to everyone. Let me know what you thought about this chapter and don't forget to go vote for me in the Glosp Awards. You can vote everyday, I think. h****ttp(:/)glospawards(.)blogspot(.)com/(p)/vote(.)html**


	29. Chapter 29

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

I felt my eyes fill up with tears as I walked over to my mother and father, slowly wrapping my arms around them both. They both slipped their arms around me but didn't say anything. There was so much to say and I wasn't sure where to start.

"I love you so much," I cried softly. "I am so sorry for everything I said. I didn't mean it."

"We know you didn't, baby. I love you so much," cried Renee.

"We missed you so much, Bella. I love you," cried Charlie.

"I missed you too," I whispered as I pulled away. I walked over to Carlisle, wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. It's good to see you back," he muttered. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too." I turned to Esme next and pulled her into my arms. "I love you, Esme. Thank you for letting E come to me."

"I love you, Bella," she whimpered. Will and Cat were standing next to Esme. They looked a little nervous. I reached out and grabbed their hands.

"I'm better. I'm sorry that I scared you. I love you both very much," I whispered as the tears poured down my face.

"We love you too, Bella. We missed you so much," cried Cat as she pulled me into her arms. Will wrapped his arms around us both.

"We are so glad you are better," he whispered.

I pulled back and wiped the tears off his face. I turned now to the hardest ones. Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice were huddle together watching me. They had tears pouring down their faces. Edward and I walked up to them and I tried to speak but I couldn't say anything through my tears. They just wrapped their arms around us and we cried together.

"I…love…you all …so much," I whispered through my tears. "I'm sorry that I hurt you with my words and my actions. I was just so mad."

"We know, B. We didn't want to let you go with Garrett but we had to," said Emmett.

"That's not why I was mad," I said, quietly.

"Why were you mad then?" asked Emmett. I pulled back from them and opened my mouth but I couldn't find the words.

"Bella, tell them why you were mad," said Garrett. I took a deep breath.

"I was mad because I blamed you for him keeping me so long," I muttered.

"Why…did you…blame us?" sobbed Alice.

"Because instead of leaving when I had the chance, I stayed," I muttered. I went on to tell them about the first time he offered to let me leave. I wasn't able to look at them as I told them the one thing I had been holding back so I turned and pressed my face into Edward's chest. "I couldn't do it, Ali. I had to protect you. So I let my tears fall as I fell to my knees and crawled away from my freedom," I whispered as I let my tears fall.

"Tell them the rest, Bella," whispered Garrett.

"Every year, it was the same thing. He would say he was going to bring Rosie or Esme, Cat or Renee. I would stand in the doorway and see the sun. I would have to make the decision. Do I leave or do I stay? Do I take it for you or do I let him hurt you? I wanted to leave so badly but then I would see you or Rosie, Renee, Esme, Cat. I saw you all living in the dark and I couldn't let that happen. So I took it for you. Everyday, I let him hurt me so he wouldn't hurt you. I think that I blamed you all for a long time for making me stay with him. I know that you didn't but in my mind, if I didn't take it then he would turn to one of you. I told myself that I was protecting you but when I came home, I was mad. I wanted someone to protect me but you couldn't protect me. I thought that you didn't want me anymore because you knew what he did to me. I know that's not true. I just didn't know how to let it go. I didn't know how to leave that room."

"Tell them all of it, Bella. You aren't going to hurt them." said Garrett.

"So this morning, the four of us went back to that room. I walked into that room and I saw the bed that was stained with my blood. I saw the table…that he …used to chain me…to…" I sobbed. Edward tightened his arms around me.

"Tell them the rest, love," he said, encouraging me to continue. I felt Garrett come over and whispered into my ear.

"You can trust them. Tell them the rest," he whispered.

"I…I saw the whip he used laying in a pile of dried blood. Then…I went to the corner." I closed my eyes. "I fell to my knees and I said you will never fucking hurt me again-"

"LOUDER BELLA!" shouted Garrett.

"YOU WILL NEVER FUCKING HURT ME AGAIN!" I screamed. "YOU ARE A MONSTER. I FUCKING HATE YOU FOR TAKING ME FROM MY FAMILY. I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL."

"Edward," said Garrett. "Tell them what you shouted."

"YOU CAN'T FUCKING HAVE HER. SHE'S MINE. SHE WAS NEVER YOURS!" shouted Edward. "YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO PUT YOUR FUCKING HANDS ON HER. SHE DIDN'T WANT YOU. SHE NEEDED ME. YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT."

"We turned to leave. When I got to the door, I stopped. Garrett said 'Bella, make the choice. He can't hurt them if you chose to leave.' I really wanted to leave but I couldn't seem to get my feet to move. I was still trying to save you. Edward whispered, 'B, let's go home'. I looked up at him and knew I could leave because you guys are my home. I came back to you. I was finally able to leave that room for you."

"Alice, what do you want to tell him?" said Garrett.

"I hate you for taking my sister," whispered Alice.

"Louder, Alice," said Garrett.

"I hate you for taking my sister," she said louder.

"LOUDER ALICE!" shouted Garrett.

"I FUCKING HATE YOU FOR TAKING MY SISTER FROM ME!" Alice screamed.

"Good girl," said Garrett. "Rosalie?"

"Goddamn, motherfucking son of a bitch. She is my sister," snapped Rose.

"LOUDER ROSALIE!" Shouted Garrett. "TELL HIM HOW MUCH HE HURT YOU WHEN HE STOLE HER AWAY."

"GODDAMN, MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A BITCH. SHE IS MY SISTER. YOU CAN'T FUCKING HAVE HER!" screamed Rose.

"Good. Jasper?" said Garrett.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE. YOU TORE MY FAMILY APART. I FUCKING HATE YOU!" shouted Jasper.

"Good. Emmett?" said Garrett. Emmett was shaking as he opened his mouth to say something but shut it. I walked over and hugged him.

"Let it out, Em. Tell him. You can do it."

"YOU FUCKING TORE MY LIFE APART. SHE IS MY SISTER. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO WANT HER. SHE IS THE BEST ONE OF US. WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE ME INSTEAD?" shouted Emmett as we fell to our knees. "I am sorry I didn't protect you, B. I should have been able to stop him. I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Em. It was all him. He was the monster. He is the only one to blame for everything I went through. I love you so much, Em," I whispered as I cried with him. Edward, Jasper, Rose and Alice came over and wrapped their arms around us.

"Kate, take their parents into the kitchen," whispered Garrett as he came over and knelt next to us.

"They are ok, guys. Let's go," whispered Kate to our parents. I heard them turn and leave the room.

"Bella doesn't need you to fight for her. She just needs to you love her. Bella, you just have to love them. It's not your place to protect them."

"I know that now," I whispered.

"I am just a phone call away when any of you need me," said Garrett, placing is hand on my back. "Just say the word and I am on the next flight."

"Ok," we all whispered softly.

"Kate, you can come back now," yelled Garrett.

We all turned so that we were sitting together. Our parents came back in. I could tell that they had been crying. I felt my friends all put their hands on my shoulders and arms. They settled onto the couches and looked up at Garrett but instead of Garrett speaking, it was Kate.

"I know you don't want to hear this but you are going to have to back the fuck off of Bella and the others," said Kate.

"What do you mean?" asked Renee.

"Bella, tell them what you told me," said Kate looking at me.

"I…I…" I started sobbing. I can't hurt them like that. Kate came over and knelt in front of me.

"Bella, deep breath. Tell them what you told me," she whispered. I started shaking my head.

"Tell them, Bella," said Garrett. I just shook my head harder. Garrett came over and pulled me up to my feet roughly. "TELL THEM NOW!"

"NO!" I screamed.

"TELL THEM HOW THEY HURT YOU!" shouted Garrett.

"NO, I WON'T HURT THEM!" I screamed.

"TELL THEM NOW BELLA!" screamed Kate.

"Please don't make me," I cried as I fell to my knees. Kate and Garrett knelt down next to me again.

"Honey, it's the only way for them to understand what you need right now," whispered Garrett.

"I…I…you smothered me when they found me." I whispered.

"Bella, tell them everything," said Kate. I started to shake my head but she grabbed it. "TELL THEM EVERYTHING."

"Please don't make me hurt them," I whispered.

"Bella, you aren't going to hurt them. They need to know." whispered Kate.

"I needed time. I needed Em, Rosie, J, Ali. I needed E. You wouldn't let them come to me. You wouldn't leave me alone. It was always 'Bella, tell us what happened.' and 'we want the old Bella back'. She can't come back. She died the second he touched me. I couldn't tell you to leave me alone. I didn't want to hurt you so I pretended that I was ok. I pretended that I was getting better when all I wanted was for the pain to end," I cried.

"We just wanted to help you," said Renee.

"You couldn't help me," I muttered.

"Baby, you wouldn't talk to us," said Charlie.

"I tried to tell you that I needed time. You kept PUSHING ME!" I screamed as I jumped to my feet. "BELLA, BABY,TALK TO US. YOU CAN TRUST US. BELLA, BABY, STAY HOME WITH US. NEVER FACE THE WORLD, BELLA."

"Bella, calm down," whispered Garrett, placing is hand on my shoulder again. I took a couple deep breathes. "You ok?"

"Yes," I said. "I know you thought you were helping but it didn't. I pushed all the pain I felt so far down that when it finally overwhelmed me, I couldn't handle it. Instead of me just being honest with you and telling you how I felt, I put on a mask and pretended that I had everything together. I can't be the old Bella."

"Good girl, honey. You did real good," said Garrett. "Why don't you take the others to your room? I'll be there in a minute."

"Ok," I whispered. "Let's go guys."

Everyone stood up and followed me upstairs to my room. I opened my door and looked around my room. It looked just like it did when I left. I still liked the purple walls but I needed to get some things up on the wall. I pulled Edward over and laid down on the bed. He chuckled as he climbed on next to me. The others climbed on next to us.

"Anyone else getting the whole déjà vu feeling?" I chuckled.

"Yeah," snorted Rosalie.

"How is school?" I asked.

"It has pretty much sucked," said Alice.

"Yeah, Lauren and Jessica are back," pouted Rosalie.

"How did they get back in?" I asked.

"After your breakdown, their parents threatened to sue the school. I guess the school board got scared so they got to come back. Mr. Varner is still here, too," said Jasper.

"Fucking asshole," I muttered.

"That he is but he has been getting the worst treatment from all the teachers and most of the students after how he pushed you," said Edward. "Everyone has been treating him like shit."

"I almost want to feel bad for him but I just can't," I sighed. "It's not his fault anyway. I shouldn't have been in school."

"True but you are going back tomorrow," said Garrett from my doorway.

"Why?" I whined.

"Because you need to go. Don't worry, I'll be there with you," he chuckled.

"Great, I can hear the rumors now. Did you hear about Bella's new boyfriend? He is like totally old and creepy," I mocked.

"I am not old…just creepy," chuckled Garrett.

"Whatever, Gar," I smirked.

"Anyway, I will meet all of you at the office in the morning," chuckled Garrett. "Kate and I are going to go to the hotel now. I'm proud of you, Bella. You did really good today, honey."

"Thanks, Gar," I whispered. "Goodnight."

"Night, honey," said Garrett before he turned and ran down the stairs.

"Guess we had better get home, too," sighed Alice.

"I guess," pouted Rose.

"I promise to be here in the morning," I sighed as I pulled my sister's into my arms. "Sister's forever."

"And ever," whispered Alice.

"And ever," chuckled Rose. "Fine, let's go home."

The six of went downstairs chuckling. Our parents just looked at us with sad expressions on their faces. I know we needed to talk some more but honestly I was exhausted. It has been a emotionally draining three days and I needed to sleep before I could talk to them anymore.

"Night guys," I said as I waked them out to the porch.

"Night, B. See you in the morning," murmured Alice as she hugged me.

"I love you, B," whispered Rose. "I am really proud of you."

"I love you too, Rosie," I whispered. "J, night, brother."

"Night, B," chuckled Jasper.

"Goodnight, love. I will be in your dreams tonight," whispered Edward before he kissed me.

"I love you, Edward," I murmured, against his lips. "Sweet dreams."

Emmett and I watched them all go into their houses. Emmett wrapped his massive arm around my shoulder and led me back into the house. Carlisle, Esme, Will, Cat, Charlie and Renee all stood up quickly. They all opened their mouths to speak but I just held my hand up to stop them.

"I will see you guys tomorrow. I am exhausted," I whispered. "I love you and I missed you. Good night."

I turned and went upstairs to my room. Emmett came in behind me and shut the door behind me. He was carrying my suitcases. He just put them on my bed, kissed my forehead and went into his room. I quickly unpacked my clothes and put my suitcases up. I changed into my pajamas and fell onto my bed. Over all the day has been great. I really missed my family, more than I thought I had. While I knew that we had made huge strides today, we still a long road to go. I could only pray that the road isn't too bumpy.

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	30. Chapter 30

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

I woke up the next morning when my alarm went off. I quickly got out of bed and took a shower. I went into my room and pulled on a pair of jeans, a blue sweater, my leather books. It was cold in Forks in mid December. I brushed my hair but didn't bother with any make-up. I grabbed my messenger bag and my coat and went downstairs. Charlie, Renee and Emmett were sitting at the table eating breakfast. It looked like they had been arguing. As soon as they saw me, they all stopped talking. I just rolled my eyes as I grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down next to Emmett.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing," said Renee.

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked again.

"We don't think you should go back to school," said Charlie. I opened my mouth to speak but Emmett cut me off.

"Dad, you have to let her go. If she wasn't ready, Garrett wouldn't be letting her," said Emmett.

"Emmett, you don't know that. He has brainwashed her into blaming all of us for what happened to her," said Renee.

"She is sitting right here," I snapped. I took a deep breath to calm down. "And I don't blame any of you for what happened to me."

"I don't understand," muttered Renee, shaking her head.

"What don't you understand?" I asked.

"You said last night that we hurt you," said Renee.

"Yes."

"How did we hurt you, Bella?" asked Charlie.

"Just like this," I snapped. "You treat me like I am still that eleven year old girl. I am eighteen and I have to be able to live my life."

"I know that, baby," said Charlie.

"Look, I needed time to heal, time you wouldn't give me. I felt guilty because I was hurting you when I needed time to figure everything out. I hated that I was hurting you so I tried to push it away so we could rebuild our relationships but all I did was push the pain down instead of dealing with it. When it came bubbling up, I couldn't deal with it. I should have been honest and told you what I needed at the time but I didn't even know what I needed."

"Good girl," said Garrett from behind me. I snapped around and narrowed my eyes at him.

"Don't look at me like that, honey. I had to make sure you were completely honest with them."

"Fucking pain in the ass," I muttered.

"Coming from the stubborn pain in the ass, I will take that as a compliment," chuckled Garrett. "Now, lets get to school. I feel the need to learn something new."

"Good luck," I smirked. I looked back as Charlie and Renee, who still looked upset. "We will talk later, I promise. I love you both."

"Ok, Bella, we love you," sighed Charlie.

"Have a good day at school," said Renee, shaking her head.

I followed Garrett out to Emmett's jeep. We climbed in and made our way to school. I was pretty nervous about seeing everyone but I knew that this was an important step for me to take to having a normal life. Well, as normal as I can have. We pulled into the parking lot. Emmett cut the engine and I just sat there.

"Bella, you are ready for this," said Garrett. "If you weren't ready, I wouldn't let you come."

"I know. What if they all hate me?" I asked.

"Then they hate you. You can't control how other people see you, honey. Besides, you don't need them," said Garrett.

"You're right" I whispered. I took a deep shaky breath and got out of the car. "I can do this. I can do this."

"Come on, honey," said Garrett as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

Emmett, Garrett and I slowly made our way into the school. Everyone stopped to stare at me as I walked by. I had to fight the urge to leave, yell or scream at them. Garret just tightened his hold on my shoulder as we walked down to the office. Emmett waited outside the office for the others, while Garrett and I opened the door to the office. Mrs. Cope gasped and dropped the papers she was holding on to the floor. She didn't say a word as she turned and ran into the Eleazar's office. A few moments later, Eleazar came running out of his office.

"Bella, how are you doing?" he asked, smiling at me.

"I'm doing great. Eleazar, this is Garrett Mitchell, my life coach. Garrett, this is Eleazar Stevens."

"It's nice to finally put a face to the voice, Garrett." chuckled Eleazar as he shook Garrett's hand. I turned and narrowed my eyes at Garrett again.

"Bella, stop glaring at me. I wasn't going to let you come back here without knowing you would be safe," chuckled Garrett.

"You could have told me," I huffed.

"I could have but I do so enjoy pissing you off," smirked Garrett.

"Anyway, how are you, Eleazar?" I asked, rolling my eyes at Garrett..

"I'm doing ok. This time of year is always hard for Carmen and I but we will be fine," sighed Eleazar.

"I know what you mean," I sighed, thinking back to all the Christmas' I lost with my family.

"Well, I have managed to put you on the same schedule as you had before," said Eleazar.

"I still have Mr. Varner?" I whined.

"Sorry, Bella, I tried to get rid of him. If he gives you any trouble, you come straight to me," said Eleazar, sadly.

"Oh, I will be handling him," growled Garrett.

"Whoa, calm down, papa bear," I chuckled.

"Shut it, honey," chuckled Garrett. "Ok, we are off to class. Eleazar, I will be in touch later in the day."

"Ok, have a good day, Bella."

"Thank you, sir," I said as I hugged him. He slowly wrapped his arms around me. "For everything."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he whispered as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Garrett and I went outside to join the others who had just shown up. They all looked as nervous as I was feeling. "Kids, she is going to be fine," said Garrett. "Let's get to English."

"Ok, bye, guys," I sighed as I grabbed Edward's hand.

"See you, B," they all sighed together.

Edward, Garrett and I slowly made our way down the hall toward my English class. I could hear people whispering as Garrett wrapped his arm around my shoulder to help me relax. Edward squeezed my hand while laughing under his breath. I looked up at him and he nodded toward Lauren and Jessica, who were standing at the end of the hall staring at me with their mouths hanging wide open. I chuckled when I saw them look Garrett up and down. I can't blame them, Garrett is pretty hot for an older guy. I leaned up and whispered in Garrett's ear.

"Don't look now but those two girls at the end of the hall are totally checking you out."

"Are they cute?" he chuckled.

"Gross," I giggled. "Besides, Kate would totally kick your ass."

"That she would," Garrett admitted as we got to my English class. "You ready?"

"Yes."

"Ok, let's go."

Edward, Garrett and I stepped into the classroom and everyone stopped talking and stared at me. I just focused on getting to my seat. I walked right back and sat down. Edward took his seat next to mine while Garrett pulled a chair up to sit next to me. As the rest of the class, piled in they would stare at me. I could feel the tears building in my eyes but I fought against letting them fall. Garrett reached over and started rubbing my back.

"Deep breaths, honey. Take a nice deep breath," he whispered. I did as he told me. I felt a tear fall from my eye. He reached up and wiped it away for me. "You're ok."

"I'm ok," I whispered just as Mrs. Owens came into the classroom. She paused for about half a second before she continued on to the her desk. "I'm…ok."

"Class, please turn to page two sixteen of your literature books," said Mrs. Owens as the bell rang.

For the rest of the hour, we read passages from Romeo and Juliet aloud. Mrs. Owens never called on me to read or to answer any questions. During the entire hour, the other students would turn and stare at us. I let a few more tears fall from my eye as they watched in case I had a melt down. I knew it was irrational but I hated the way they looked at me. Was I ever going to just be Bella Swan again?

Garrett just rubbed my back and reminded me that I was ok. By the time the bell rang I was shaking a little bit. Garrett told me to stay until everyone left the classroom. One everyone was gone, he turned me to him.

"Bella, you have to calm down, honey. You are going to have a panic attack if you don't calm down."

"I just don't want them staring at me," I whispered. "It makes me feel like a freak."

"You know you are not a freak. Use the relaxation techniques that Kate taught you to relax."

"Ok, I'll try," I whispered.

"Good, let's get to class," he said.

Garrett and I walked out and met Jasper, who was waiting for us. Garrett wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we walked down the hall to history. People continued to stare at me as we walked down the hall but I just pushed the fear back and focused on my breathing. We walked into history and Peter gave us a big smile.

"Welcome back, Bella," he said before turning to Garrett. "Garrett, how are you?"

"I'm good, Peter," chuckled Garrett as I narrowed my eyes at him, again. "What?"

"You know what. How do you know Mr. Davis?" I snapped.

"Calm down, Bella. Peter is Charlotte's husband," whispered Garrett. My mouth fell open as I looked from him to Peter and back.

"WHAT?" I screamed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"Bella, calm down now," snapped Garrett. I took a couple deep breaths. "When the Judge in Arizona contacted me after he let you come back, I arranged for Peter to come watch you and the others in case you needed me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered as my tears fell.

"Honey, you had enough on your mind. Peter and Charlotte have both been working with me for a long time. I needed someone I could trust to watch you," whispered Garrett as he wiped my tears.

"You should have told me. I don't like being lied to," I whispered as I pulled away and went to sit down.

I pulled my knees to my chest and quietly cried. Jasper came over and sat next to me but didn't say anything. The bell rang and Garrett pulled a chair next to me as Peter started class. I sat and silently cried into my knees for the next hour. Garrett reached over to rub my back but I pulled away from him. I felt betrayed. He should have told me before we got to school today. I felt violated all over again. Once the bell rang, I went to get up but Garrett grabbed my arm and threw me back into my seat while the other kids left. Peter closed to the door and stood in front of it.

"Bella, talk to me," snapped Garrett. I just sat there and ignored him. "BELLA, TALK TO ME NOW."

"NO!" I screamed. "YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO SPY ON ME."

"I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE OK." shouted Garrett.

"NO, YOU WANTED TO WATCH ME LIKE HE DID." I screamed.

**So yeah. Thanks for all the reviews. More of Bella's first day back to come.**


	31. Chapter 31

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"What?" asked Garrett.

"Did you forget me telling you how he watched me for weeks before he took me? He didn't care about me anymore than you do," I snapped as I jumped out of my seat. I went over to the door but Peter wouldn't move. "Get out of my way."

"No," said Peter.

"Get out of my way," I snapped again.

"No" said Garrett. moving up behind me.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" I screamed.

"NO!" shouted Garrett, spinning me around to face him. "You aren't running from this. I had to have someone here in case you needed me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. "Why did you lie?"

"I didn't tell you because we had other things to work on, honey. It wasn't a big deal at the time. I am sorry I didn't tell you." said Garrett.

"Is there anything else you are keeping from me?" I asked.

"No," he said.

"Fine," I huffed. "Don't lie to me again or I will fucking kick your skinny ass."

"I don't have a skinny ass. I have a very nice ass," whispered Garrett as he tried to hide his smirk.

"You are such a fucking dork," I snickered as I rolled my eyes. "Let's go to gym."

"Yes, girls in gym shorts," chuckled Garrett, pushing open the classroom door.

"Honestly, you are like totally old," I chuckled as we walked out of the classroom. I turned back to Peter, who was laughing at us. "So you and Charlotte, huh? Who would have guessed?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Peter.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I smirked as I turned and walked down to the gym. Garrett followed me laughing hysterically. Everyone was staring at him like he had two heads but I couldn't help but laugh with him.

"You know, he is going to be driving me nuts about that," laughed Garrett.

"Good," I laughed. "Payback can be a real bitch."

"What's so funny?" asked Kate as we approached the gym.

"Bella is messing with Peter's mind," chuckled Garrett.

"Good. He deserves it," chuckled Kate, smiling. "Bella, let's go get changed for gym."

"You are coming to gym with me?" I asked

"Yep, you and I are going to work with Rose and Alice on some relaxation techniques while Garrett watches the girls in gym shorts," snickered Kate

"What?" asked Garrett, innocently. "I wouldn't do that."

"Whatever," Kate and I muttered at the same time.

We turned and walked into the dressing room, leaving Garrett standing there. Kate gave me a pair of yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt to change into. While I was more comfortable with my body, it was still hard for me to show it to other people. I went into one of the stalls and changed into my clothes, leaving my shoes off. Kate and I went out into the gym. As soon as we walked in, everyone turned and stared at us. I rolled my eyes when I heard Garrett chuckling next to Coach Clapp. We walked over and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What's so funny?" I snapped.

"I saw the eye rolling, honey. I think you have it down to an art form," he chuckled.

"Garrett, don't make me hurt you," I snapped. "You know I can do it."

"Oh really?" he smirked. "Prove it, honey."

"FINE!" I screamed.

"FINE!" He shouted back at me. He turned back to Coach Clapp, who was watching us with wide eyes. "Coach, can we borrow the mats, please?"

"That depends on what you are going to do," said Coach Clapp warily.

"Bella and I are going to spar so I can prove to her that I can kick her skinny ass." smirked Garrett.

"You fucking wish, Garrett. I will get you to tap out," I snapped.

"Bring it on, honey. Bring it on," he smirked.

"I hate when you call me honey," I growled.

"I know…honey," he chuckled.

"Bella, are you sure?" asked Coach Clapp, warily.

"Yes, Coach. I can take him," I smirked, looking back at Garrett. "Let's go, honey."

"Alright." he chuckled.

Garrett laughed as he followed me over to the mats. Everyone circled around the mats to watch us. Kate had an arm around both Rose and Alice, whispering to both of them. I think she was trying to get them to calm down. Garrett smirked at me as he came at me. He may have been bigger and a little stronger than me but I was quicker. Three minutes later, I had him pinned to the mats.

"Tap out, Gar," I smirked. "Come on, just do it."

"Fine," he grumbled as he tapped out. I chuckled as I pulled him to his feet.

"Told you," I smirked.

"B, that was awesome," chuckled Alice.

"You have to teach me to do that to Em," snickered Rose.

"Aw, Em doesn't deserve that…sometimes," I chuckled.

"Garrett, when are you going to learn not to challenge Bella? She has beaten you eight straight times now," chuckled Kate.

"Whatever," he muttered. "I will be on the bleachers."

"Aw, Garrett, don't feel bad about getting beat by a girl, honey," I laughed as he walked away. He just waved me off. I turned to look at Kate. "I know what he was doing."

"What?" she asked innocently.

"He purposely challenged me in front of everyone so he could make me prove to them that I can take care of myself," I explained.

"Did he?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"Kate."

"Fine, he did, but only because he knew you would beat him," smirked Kate.

"That would almost be sweet if a small part of him wasn't hoping to beat me," I chuckled.

"Yeah, he doesn't like to lose," she sighed. "Anyway, let's get started. Take a seat, girls."

"For what?" asked Rose.

"Kate is going to teach you some relaxation techniques that she taught me while I was in Brazil," I explained as I pulled them to the ground with me. "Just trust her."

"Ok," said Alice.

"Ok, I want you to take a deep breath. Now, close your eyes," whispered Kate. I closed my eyes and found myself in Edward's arms. "I want you to think of what ever makes you happy."

"Bring her back," whispered Alice.

"Push past it, Ali," I whispered. "Look past him and find your happiness."

"I'm scared," she whispered. I opened my eyes and turned to face her. I put my hands on her face. I noticed that Kate was doing the same thing with Rose.

"What are you scared of?" I whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"I don't want you to go away again," she whispered, letting a tear slip down her face. "I don't want you to hurt anymore."

"Ali, push it away. Throw out that fear. No matter where I am, I will always be in your heart. Now tell me about your happy place," I whispered.

"The six of us are sitting on the bank of the river," she murmured as she cried. "We are happy and laughing. I am sitting in J's lap. Em has his head on Rosie's lap. You and E are laying in the grass. You are laughing and smiling. I missed your beautiful smile, B. Your scars are gone. It's like God came down and washed them away."

"We will be those people soon, Ali. I promise," I whispered, letting my tears fall with her. "We will be happy soon. When you feel scared, go to the river bank."

"I'll try, B. I really will try," she cried as she wrapped her arms around me. I pulled her into my lap and we cried together.

"You can do it, Alice," said Garrett as he sat next to us. He wrapped his arms around us both. "You can beat him. He can't win when you all are together."

"I know," she sobbed, hysterically. "I just missed her so much."

"I missed you too, Ali," I whispered.

"Alice, take a deep breath, honey. You need to calm down," whispered Garrett. "Bella, Rose needs you. I've got Alice. Go."

"Ok," I whispered as I pulled away from Alice. I crawled over to Rose, who was sobbing uncontrollably. I pulled her from Kate's arms into mine. I noticed that everyone in our class had joined us on the mats and were crying with us. "It's ok, Rosie. It's ok, honey."

"B, please don't leave us again," she cried, holding onto me as tightly as she could.

"I can't promise that I won't have to go, Rosie, but I will always come back. I promise I will always come back," I whispered. "Calm down, Rosie. Take a deep breath and find your happy place. Talk to me, Rosie."

"I'm sitting in our old tree house. Emmett is holding me in his arms. I feel so relaxed. Em is smiling for the first time in a long time. We look down and you and E are laying in the hammock. Your eyes are closed but you are whispering to each other. Ali and J are laying on a blanket under the willow tree. She has her head laying on his chest and he is running his fingers through her hair," whispered Rose.

"It sounds really nice, Rosie," I whispered. "Soon, honey. We will be happy like that soon."

"Keep fighting, Rose," said Kate. "Don't ever give up."

"Ok," she whispered as the first bell rang. Slowly, we pulled apart. "I'm ok now."

"Good," I whispered as I wiped my tears off my face. "Sister's forever."

"And ever," she whispered.

"And ever," whispered Alice.

Alice, Rose, Kate and I went into the dressing room and changed into our regular clothes. We met Emmett and Garrett outside of the gym. Emmett pulled Rose into his arms as we walked down to Spanish. I knew they were going to love each other for a long time. We said goodbye to Alice and Rose as we reached our classroom. Kate said she would see us at lunch and went with the Rose and Alice. Emmett, Garrett and I went into the classroom. Mrs. Goff looked up and smiled when she saw me.

"Bella, I heard you were back. You look great."

"Thank you, Mrs. Goff. This is Garrett Mitchell," I said softly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Goff. Bella speaks very highly of you," said Garrett as he shook her hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Garrett."

"Mrs. Goff, I was hoping that you would let me complete the project you assigned at the first of the year," I said softly as everyone filed into the classroom.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am. I was able to learn a lot of really good recipes while I was in Brazil."

"Well, in that case, let me know when you are ready."

"Thank you."

We went back and took our seats in the back of the classroom just as the bell rang. I smiled at Ben, who was still sitting in front of me. Mrs. Goff gave us a five page work sheet to work on. It took me about ten minutes to finish it. When I handed it to her she just cocked her eyebrow as she took it. She quickly graded it. As she read each correct answer, her eyes grew bigger and bigger. She gave it back to me with a note asking to stay after class. I showed it to Garrett, who laughed under his breath. I heard Emmett mutter something about me sharing the smart gene under his breath. My shoulders shook with my silent laughter. Once the bell rang, Garrett and I hung back until everyone left the classroom. Once it was empty, Mrs. Goff looked at me for just a moment.

"Ok, how the hell did you get through that worksheet so fast?"

"I studied college level Spanish while in Brazil."

"Who taught you?" she asked.

"I taught myself," I said softly. "I have a photographic memory. I remember everything I see."

"I see. How many semester's worth of college Spanish would you say you went through?" She asked.

"I don't know. Garrett?"

"I gave her four full semesters worth of work to complete. It took her a month," explained Garrett.

"Wow," said Mrs. Goff, eyes wide open. "Bella, if I can arrange for you to do advance Spanish work here, would you be willing to do it? It would count as college credit."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ok, I will see what I can get set up for the spring semester since we only have another week until the Christmas break. In the mean time, I guess you can bring in anything you want to work on."

"Thank you, Mrs. Goff," I said. "I am sure I can find something."

"Ok, get to lunch, dear," she chuckled, shaking her head.

Garrett and I walked out of the classroom and found Emmett was waiting for us. We stopped by our lockers and put our bags up before we went down to the cafeteria. As soon as we walked in everyone stopped and stared at us. I rolled my eyes and pulled them both over to the line. We got our lunch, I got pizza, and went to sit down next to the others. I noticed that Angela and Ben were sitting with them. As soon as I put my tray down, I threw my arms around both of them.

"I missed you guys," I whispered through my tears.

"We missed you too, Bella," whispered Angela, hugging me back. "You look beautiful."

"You look great, Bella," said Ben.

"Thanks, guys. Angela and Ben, I would like you to meet Garrett and Kate. Garrett and Kate, this is Angela and Ben, my friends."

"It's nice to meet you both," said Kate, smiling at them.

"I have heard a lot of great things about you both," said Garrett, nodding his head.

"How?" snapped Angela, straight to the point like always.

"Ang-" I started.

"It's ok, Bella. She is worried about you," said Garrett, rubbing my back. "I am Bella's life coach."

"Turn and walk away, bitches," snapped Angela. I turned and saw Lauren and Jessica coming up to me with smirks on their ugly faces.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Yes, more fun with Lauren and Jessica. **


	32. Chapter 32

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"Well, look who's back. Did they finally let the freak out of the nut house?" sneered Lauren.

"Lauren-" started Angela but I stopped her. I stood up and faced them both.

"You know what, Lauren. I really don't give a fucking shit what you think about me. For whatever reason, the two of you feel the need to try to break me but it won't work. I was able to push past my pain and work through it. I only hope that one day, you can," I snapped. "Now get the fuck away from me and my family."

"Is that some crap that your new boyfriend here told you?" sneered Jessica.

"Yes, it is actually. Although, my wife, Kate, is the one who gave her the whole 'I really don't give a fucking shit what you think about me' so if I were you , I would leave Bella alone," smirked Garrett. "I would hate for her to have you kick your asses."

"Isn't that sweet? He is sticking up for his whore," chuckled Lauren. I felt my rage explode through my entire body.

"I AM NOT A WHORE!" I screamed as I clinched my fist. Everyone in the cafeteria got deathly silent. "YOU FUCKING BITCHES NEED TO LEAVE ME ALONE."

"BELLA, CALM DOWN!" shouted Garrett. I tried to take a deep breath but I was so angry I started shaking. "BELLA, CALM DOWN NOW."

"B, take a deep breath," whispered Edward as he wrapped his arms around me. I automatically felt my body relax; I was in my happy place.

"I am not a whore," I whispered.

"Miss Mallory, Miss Stanley, do we have a problem here?" snapped Eleazar.

"No, sir," sneered Lauren and Jessica.

"Garrett, do we have a problem here?" asked Eleazar as he rolled his eyes at Lauren and Jessica.

"Yes, we do," said Garrett. heatedly. "I think we need to meet with their parents, now."

"I was thinking the same thing. Ladies, why don't we go down to my office?" ordered Eleazar. Lauren and Jessica glared at me as they followed Eleazar down to his office.

"Kate, can you handle Bella's biology class?" asked Garrett.

"Yes, we'll be fine," said Kate. Garrett came over and grabbed my face into his hands.

"You're fine, honey. Push it away. I will be back for Trig. I promise," he whispered.

"Ok," I whispered. Garrett kissed my forehead and ran out of the cafeteria. I sat down in my seat and pulled my knees to my chest. Edward wrapped his arms around me. "I'm ok. I'm ok."

"Guys, what's the deal with those two?" asked Kate.

"Honestly, I don't know. We always thought they didn't like Bella because they chased after Edward after she was taken but lately, they are like that with everyone," said Jasper.

"Hmm," said Kate. She came over and rubbed my back. "Bella, you ok?"

"I'm ok. I'm in my happy place," I sighed as I nestled myself into Edward's arms more.

"What the hell is a happy place?" chuckled Emmett.

"Em, it's my safe place. The place I go when I feel like I am losing it," I whispered with my eyes close. "Someplace without loud, annoying, twin brothers."

"Is that right?" chuckled Emmett. "Well, I guess my happy place would be somewhere without stubborn, bitchy, pain in the ass, twin sisters."

"No such place," I chuckled.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I am not bitchy. Stubborn, yes, pain in the ass, yes, bitchy, defiantly not" I chuckled. "Besides, I never said you weren't in my happy place."

"Whatever, little sister," chuckled Emmett.

"Em, I am two minutes younger than you," I sighed.

"Still younger," he smirked.

"Are they always like this?" asked Kate.

"Yes," said everyone. Emmett and I just chuckled as the bell rang.

"I guess, we had better go get us some learning done," chuckled Kate.

"Suppose so," I sighed as I pulled away from Edward and stood up. "See you guys after school."

"Later," they all muttered.

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist as the three of us headed down to my biology class. I noticed that less people were blatantly staring at me. Most of them were just sneaking peaks at me. I ignored it as best I could and walked into my classroom. We went back to our table and sat down. Kate pulled up a stool so that she was sitting on one side of me and Edward was on the other side of me. Just before the final bell rang, Mr. Banner came into the classroom carrying a bunch of papers. He glanced back at us and smiled. He put the papers on his desk and came back to us.

"Hey Bella, welcome back," he said cheerfully.

"Thanks, Mr. Banner. This is Kate. She and her husband Garrett are my life coaches."

"It's nice to meet you, Kate."

"You too, Mr. Banner."

"Bella, we are having a test today so I guess you are free to do something else," said Mr. Banner.

"I can take the test," I said shrugging my shoulders.

"Bella, are you sure you are ready for that?" he asked. "I know you can do the test that I am giving the rest of the students but the one for Edward is advanced college microbiology."

"That's fine," I said.

"Ok," he said before he turned and walked to the front of the class.

I heard Kate chuckle under her breath at him. He means well. Mr. Banner passed out the tests. Mine and Edward's test were ten pages long. Twenty minutes later, I handed him my test. He chuckled as he sat down as his desk and graded it. I went back and sat down on my stool and watched him as he graded it. When he was done, he snapped his head up and looked at me, clearly surprised. Kate and I laughed. I even heard Edward chuckle as he worked on his test. Mr. Banner motioned for us to follow him out into the hall.

"Ok, Bella. How did you do that?" he asked. "You scored a hundred on it. That was the hardest work I can get my hands on."

"While I was in Brazil, I studied a lot," I said softly.

"I see. Well I guess I will see if I can find you some harder work," chuckled Mr. Banner. "At this rate, I will be pulling stuff from medical school."

"I wouldn't bother. She has already read all my medical books." Garrett smiled as he came up behind me. "You must be Mr. Banner. I'm Garrett."

"It's nice to meet you, Garrett. Somehow I am not surprised that she reads medical books," he chuckled.

Garrett came into the classroom with me after whispering something into Kate's ear. She just nodded her head, pulled out her cell phone and started walking down the hall. Once the bell rang, I groaned. It was time for Trig, the one class I wasn't looking forward to at all. I didn't want to have to face Mr. Varner but I knew I had to. This was all part of my recovery. Garrett just wrapped his arm around my shoulder while Edward grabbed my hand. We slowly made our way to trig. I took a deep breath before we walked into the classroom. Mr. Varner narrowed his eyes at me as I took my seat next to Edward. I struggled not to break my eye contact with him. Garrett cleared his throat and caused Mr. Varner to jump slightly. The bell rang, and everyone stopped talking.

"Well, class open your books to page 598," he said as he started writing a problem on the board. "Bella, would you come up and show the class how to work this problem?"

"Yes, sir," I said. I got up and went to the board and took the marker from this hand. He flinched slightly when I touched him. I was barely able to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I quickly explained each step as I worked it. I turned and handed him the marker. "Any questions?"

"No," he said harshly.

"May I go back to my seat, sir?" I asked politely.

"I guess so," he halfway sneered at me. Garrett cleared his throat again. Mr. Varner turned to look at him and paled. "I mean, yes, you may."

"Thank you," I said as I went and sat down.

I turned and narrowed my eyes at Garrett. He just gave me an innocent smile. I rolled me eyes and ignored him for the rest of the class. Every time Mr. Varner even looked in my direction, Garrett would clear his throat. I knew he had threatened him somehow. Once the bell rang, Garrett went to get up but I pushed him back in his chair. Once all the students left, I turned to Mr. Varner, who looked frightened.

"What did he say to you?" I asked.

"Nothing," said Mr. Varner quickly.

"Don't lie to me. What did he say to you?" I asked again.

"I told him that if he doesn't show you some respect that I would cut off his nuts," muttered Garrett as he tried to hid his smirk. I struggled to hid my smile. He was just trying to protecting me. I heard Edward chuckle to himself. I just shook my head and tried to pull on a straight face before I turned and looked back at Mr. Varner.

"Garrett, you can't do that. I don't want his respect because you scared the shit of him. I want it because I earned it everyday that I have fought to save my life because he had to be a fucking asshole and push and push and push me until he finally pushed me to the point that I nearly killed myself. It's not like I think he should think about how he made me feel like a cheap ass whore who nobody would ever want. I don't believe in guilt treatments."

Then I pulled a chuckling Garrett and Edward out of the classroom, leaving a stunned Mr. Varner behind. As soon as the door shut behind me, Garrett pulled me into his arms.

"Honey, that was well played," chuckled Garrett.

"I thought so too," I chuckled.

"Bella, do you trust me?" asked Garrett, turning serious.

"Yes."

"I need you to sit and listen to something," he said softly. "It's going to be really hard for you to hear but I think you need to hear it."

"Ok, you're scaring me a little."

"Trust me," he whispered.

"Ok."

Garrett pulled me down the hall to the office. He led me into the conference room. Charlie, Renee, Emmett, Lauren, Jessica and their parents were sitting at the table with Kate, Peter and Eleazar. Garrett pulled me into the chair directly across from Lauren and Jessica. He told Edward to sit in the chair next to me. It looked like they had been crying. I looked around at everyone. They all looked like they had been crying. I looked up at Garrett.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Bella, Lauren and Jessica have something they need to tell you. I want you to promise that you won't say anything until you they finish," said Garrett.

"Ok. I promise."

"Girls," said Garrett, looking over at them. They shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "You can do it."

"Bella, it's our fault you were kidnapped," whispered Jessica. "We were riding our bikes downtown when this guy stopped in a black car. He held out a picture of you and asked if we had seen you around. He said that your parents sent him to look for you. We had just seen you walking on third so we told him where you were."

"We knew who he was. He was a friend of my older brothers from Seattle. When we heard that you were missing, we knew that he had taken you but we never said anything to anyone. We were mad at you because you told Edward and Emmett not to play with us at school. We are so sorry, Bella," whispered Lauren. I could feel my blood boiling.

"Bella?" whispered Garrett but I couldn't answer him. All I could do was stare at the bitches that were sitting across from me. "Come on, honey, talk to me."

"No," I growled. "I want to talk to them."

"Bella-" started Jessica but I slammed my hands on the table causing everyone to flinch back into their seats.

"NO!" I screamed. "YOU ARE GOING TO SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN TO ME NOW!"

"Bella, calm down, honey," said Garrett. I took a couple deep breaths.

"You didn't tell anyone that you knew who had held me in hell for 2095 fucking days because I told E and Em not to fucking play with you," I snapped. "Do you have any fucking idea of how much pain and humiliation I went through?"

"No," whispered Lauren. I pulled my shirt up and turned around so they could see my back. "Oh my god, we are so sorry."

"Sorry? You're Sorry?" I growled. "Well, I guess that makes everything just fucking ok, doesn't it? Why do you hate me now?"

"We don't hate you, Bella," whispered Jessica.

"YES, YOU DO!" I screamed as I jumped to my feet. "YOU FUCKING THREW ME INTO A SET OF GLASS DOORS. HOW CAN YOU SIT THERE AND SAY YOU DON'T HATE ME?"

"BELLA, STOP!" shouted Garrett. "SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"FINE!" I screamed as I sat back down in my chair.

"Girls." said Garrett.

"We are afraid of you," cried Lauren. "At first we thought he told you that it was us. Then we were afraid that you would tell everyone and they would hate us."

"We thought that if we scared you that you wouldn't say anything," whispered Jessica.

"Was it worth it?" I asked harshly. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Was my pain worth it to help ease the guilt you feel?"

"No," whispered Jessica and Lauren.

"I don't blame you if that is what you think," I said harshly. "He would have gotten me sooner or later. That was all he cared about. It's not your fault that he did anything to me. Let it go. Trust me it's not worth it."

"How?" whispered Lauren. "I feel so guilty. I hate myself so much. I feel so much pain all the time. No matter how many times I…"

"What, Lauren?" I asked as I moved around the table and kneeled next to her. I noticed that she was pulling at her shirt sleeve. "Show me."

"I can't. I deserve it for what I have done to you," she whispered as she cried.

"Lauren, show me. It's the only way you can get help," I whispered. Lauren slowly pulled up her shirt sleeve. She had razor marks from her wrist to her elbow. I pushed her other sleeve up and saw the same thing. "You don't feel it anymore, do you?"

"No."

"Jessica?" I asked as I turned to her. She pulled her sleeves up and showed us her marks.

"Sucks to not feel the pain, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"Lauren, Jessica, you have a choice to make right now. You can choose to help yourself or you can choose to give up," I muttered. "It's really hard but you can do it. Just let it go."

"Ok," they whispered as we cried together.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mallory, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, what's it going to be?" asked Peter. I was a little sad that he was going to have to leave us but I knew they needed him now. He and Charlotte could help them.

"I don't know," whispered Mr. Stanley.

"John, you have to let her go," said Charlie. I looked over at him. He had tears pouring down his face. "I am not as nice as Bella is. I am pissed as hell at the both of them but if she can find it in her amazingly big heart to help them, then I have to agree with her. It's the only way to save Jessica."

"Mr. Stanley, you have to let her heal. If you don't, you are going to lose her," I said.

"Fine," he whispered through his tears. He looked up at Peter. "Please just help my girl."

"I will," said Peter. I gave him a small smile. "Mr. and Mrs. Mallory?"

"Fine," they said together. "Fine."

"Ok, let's go girls," said Peter, slapping a handcuff on each of their wrist.

"WHAT THE HELL?" They both screeched.

"LET US GO!" screamed Lauren. "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING US?"

"You will see when we get there," chuckled Peter.

"Daddy, I changed my mind. Please let me stay," cried Jessica.

"Honey, we can't," said Mr. Stanley. "We love you. We will be waiting for you when you get back."

"I HATE YOU ALL. BELLA, HELP US."

"I am helping you. When you get better, I will be waiting here for you," I whispered.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Before I get a ton of people telling me that Lauren and Jessica got off too easy, let me say that I am not done with them yet. Have some faith. **


	33. Chapter 33

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

Peter dragged Lauren and Jessica out of the room. Their parents quickly ran from the room. I fell to my knees and let is all out. I was still pissed as hell at them but I knew it wasn't going to do me any good to hang on to it. Garrett came over and pulled me into his lap.

"You did a real good thing for them, honey." he whispered.

"I'm so fucking mad." I whispered.

"I know you are." he whispered. "Tell me."

"I know it isn't their fault that he took me but how could they not fucking tell someone? For 2095 days they could have told someone, any one. But instead they keep their fucking mouths shut. I don't understand how they could do that to me." I whispered.

"I don't either, honey." he whispered. "But you have to let it go. Push it away with the other pain."

"I know." I whispered. "I'm trying."

"Let's get to the gym. We have work to do." he whispered pulling me to my feet.

"Ok."

"Bella?" said Garrett. I looked back at him. "I want a rematch."

"Gar, I will still kick your ass and get you to tap out." I chuckled as we walked out of the office. Everyone just chuckled nervously behind us.

"Whatever, honey." he chuckled.

"I really hate it when you call me honey." I growled.

"I know…honey." he smirked as he took off running to the gym.

"Cheater." I yelled as I ran after him.

A few minutes later, I ran into the gym after Garrett. Carlisle, Esme, Will, Cat, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Angela and Ben were waiting for us. I just punched Garrett in the arm as I walked past him.

"Fuck, Bella. That hurt." he grumbled as he rubbed his arm. "I'm going to fucking bruise."

"Then stop fucking cheating, honey." I smirked as I kicked off my boots and joined the others on the mats. I laid my head on Rose's stomach and propped my feet on Jasper.

"B, your feet stink." he chuckled.

"What? No, they don't." I chuckled.

"Yes, they do, B." chuckled Emmett as he laid his head on my stomach.

"Your stink worse than B's, Em." chuckled Rose.

"Ha." I smirked.

"Whatever, Bellie"

"Good come back, Emmie." I chuckled.

"Yeah, Emmie." chuckled Alice as she laid her head in Emmett's stomach.

"Shut it, pixie." chuckled Edward as he laid his head on Alice.

"I'm not a pixie anymore." she grumbled.

"Ok, shut it, energizer bunny." chuckled Edward.

"That's energizer bunny on crack." I laughed. Jasper reached up and started tickling me feet. "J stop!"

"Not till you leave the pixie alone." he chuckled as he tickled my feet.

"Please stop, I can't breathe." I laughed. He finally stopped. I pushed him hard with my feet. "Don't do that again."

"Ok, just stop kicking me." he chuckled.

"Well, as nice as this is, we have work to do." chuckled Garrett. "Bella?"

"Really, Garrett. Losing once today just wasn't enough for you?" I chuckled as he pulled me to my feet.

"I let you win." he smirked. I rolled my eyes at him. "What? I did."

"You let a girl who barely weighs 100lbs, kick you skinny, flat ass, in front of a class of girls in gym shorts?" I smirked.

"Yes, and my ass is neither skinny nor flat."

"Yes, it is, honey." chuckled Kate. "Bella, let's get this done so we can get back to work."

"Ok, fine, I'll kick his ass again." I sighed.

"What the hell is going on?" bellowed Charlie. I chuckled when I saw the confused look on everyone's faces except for Rose, Alice and Kate. Edward looked excited to see me beat Garrett. I just winked at him.

"Garrett has challenged me to another sparing match since the last one went so good for him." I chuckle.

"You mean fighting?" asked Charlie.

"Yes."

"FUCK THAT." bellowed Charlie as he went up to Garrett. "YOU DON'T PUT YOUR HANDS ON MY LITTLE GIRL."

"CHARLIE."I screamed.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you done being an ass?" I asked. "Because we really don't have time for you both to whip it out to see which of you can piss the furthest."

"Bella." chuckled Garrett.

"Shut it, honey. Get on the mat and start stretching your old warn out muscles." I smirked before I turned to look at everyone. "Kate and Garrett taught me Judo when I was in Brazil. Garrett wants yet another rematch since I have beaten him eight straight times."

"Come on, honey. I don't have all day." chuckled Garrett.

"Let's do it this." I chuckled.

I went over to the mats and just rolled my eyes at the smirk on Garrett's face. I could hear Kate laughing as Garrett went to kick me and I moved and he fell to the ground. Everyone circled around the mats to watch us. Five minutes later, I had Garrett pinned to the mats again.

"Do it, Gar." I chuckled.

"I really don't like you right now." he grumbled as he tapped out.

"Yes, you do. You love me, honey." I smarted off.

"B, that was just….wow." said Edward as he came up to me. He just kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

"Gross!" groaned Garrett. I pulled away and flipped him off. "Nice come back, honey."

"So what are we doing now?" I asked.

"We are going to teach everyone the relaxations techniques we worked on this morning. Everyone take a seat on the mats." said Kate. We all sat down on the mats. "Now the point of these exercises are to help you push through the pain. You have to look beyond the pain and find your happy place. Everyone ready?"

"Ready." everyone muttered.

"Ok, everyone take a deep breathe. Good. Now close your eyes. Think about what makes you happy. Go to your happy place."

"No, baby, come back." whispered Renee. I crawled over to her. I put my hands on her face.

"Push it back, Mom. Let it go." I whispered. "I know it's hard but you can do it."

"Baby, come back. I'm sorry I let him take you. Please come back to me." cried Renee.

"Mom, I'm here." I whispered. "I came back. Find your happy place, Mom."

"You're my happy place, Bella." she whispered. "I need you with me."

"You can do better than that, Renee." whispered Garrett as he sat down next to us. "You can't live through her. Sooner or later, you have to let her go."

"No, I just got her back." cried Renee.

"She has to leave, Renee. She has to go to college. She has to move on with her life. She can't do that when she is worried about you and Charlie." whispered Garrett pulling my hands off her face. He motioned for me to scoot back. "You have to let her go."

"Baby, come back." she whispered.

"She can't, Renee. She in college. She is studying to be a doctor. She can't come home. Find your happy place, Renee." said Garrett. "Come on, tell me about it."

"I'm laying in Bella's bed. I can smell her on her sheets. Charlie comes in holding a picture of my Bella. She looks so happy with Edward. They are married. They are happy. Charlie comes over and wraps his arms around me. I feel safe now. My Bella is ok. I'm ok." whispered Renee. Charlie crawls over to Renee and wraps his arms around her.

"Re, you're my happy place. As long as I have you, I know I will be ok. Bella is going to be ok. We have to let her go. We can't hurt her anymore." he whispered.

I could feel the tears pouring down my face. They finally understood. They had to let me go. As hard as it is for them to do so, they have to let me go. I felt Edward wrap his arms around me. I sighed and melted into his arms. I am in my happy place.

After a couple hours of working on relaxation techniques, we all went home. Garrett and Kate were going to spend one more day at school with me before they went back to Brazil. I was a little worried about how I was going to be able to handle the stress without them but I knew that eventually I had to learn to count on myself. Once we got home, Renee and I made dinner for Charlie and Emmett. It was nice getting to spend that little amount of time with her. She seemed to finally understand that I needed to be able to make my own choices in life. I had spent nearly six long years with a man who made my choices for me.

After dinner, I went over to see Carlisle. I needed to talk to him. I needed to thank him for saving my life that day. Esme told me that he was in his office. I thanked her and made my way over to his door. I knocked softly.

"Come in." yelled Carlisle. I pushed the door opened and walked in. "Bella, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, it's fine." I said softly. "I just wanted to thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"If you hadn't pushed Edward and the others into letting me go with Garrett, I would be dead right now. I just wanted the pain to end. I was tired of being that Bella. When I fell onto the rock in the woods that day, I felt this pain but it wasn't a bad pain. So I picked it up and thought to myself that is was almost over. As I started pass out, I prayed that I would die quickly. When I woke up in the hospital, I was so fucking mad that I wasn't dead." I whispered through my tears. "I don't want to die anymore."

"Bella, I am really proud of you, sweetheart." whispered Carlisle. "I love you so much."

"I love you to, Carlisle." I whispered as I hugged him. "Can I read in here with you for awhile?"

"Of course you can." chuckled Carlisle.

I went over to his medical books and pulled one off the shelf. I curled up in his big leather chair and started to read. Carlisle went an sat back down at his desk and started working on his notes again. For the next hour, I sat in his office and read while he worked. Every once in a while, a tear would fall down my check. I had missed getting to spend this time with Carlisle. This was always our time. When I was a little girl, he respected that I was smart. He never talked down to me like most adults did. Eventually, I closed my book and put it back on the shelf. I hugged him and went home. I went up to my room and changed into my pajamas. I climbed into my bed and went to my happy place.


	34. Chapter 34

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

When I woke up the next morning, I got up and took a shower and got dressed. I went downstairs to the kitchen. Garrett and Kate were sitting at the table with Charlie, Renee and Emmett. I grabbed a bowl of cereal and settled down in between Garrett and Emmett.

"Morning," I said, quietly.

"Good Morning. How did you sleep last night?" asked Garrett.

"Good. I was in my happy place all night."

"What's your happy place, Bella?" asked Renee., smiling at me

"Edward's arms." I smiled and blushed. "It's where I feel safe all the time. When I start to get overwhelmed, I imagine that he is wrapping his arms around me. I did that everyday that he had me. It's how I survived," I murmured.

"That's how your dad's arm for me, baby," said Renee. "I get it now. You only need Edward."

"I will always need you, Mom," I said as a tear fell from my eye. "Maybe I don't need you to hold me when I cry but I need my mom."

"Bella, tell them how you need them," pushed Garrett.

"I need you to love me. One day, E and I are going to get married," I said. "I am going to need you to drive me crazy with wedding plans. I am going to need you to badger me when I go to college about not visiting enough. I need you to tell me that I am too thin, that I need to eat more." I looked over at Charlie, who was pushing his cereal around with his spoon. "Dad, I am going to need you to tell her to stop. I am going to need you to pretend to be cleaning your gun when E picks me up for a date." I paused as I tried to stop my tears from falling but I couldn't. "I need you to walk me down the aisle one day and give me away."

"I can't, um, give you away, baby," whispered Charlie through his tears.. "I'll let Edward borrow you for the next seventy years or so but , um, you will always be my little girl. No matter where you are."

"You're my number one guy, Daddy," I cried as I crawled into his lap. "No matter where I am."

"Bella, you…need to eat more. You're too thin," choked out Renee through her sobs. She wrapped her arms around the two of us. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too," I whispered through my tears.

"Let's go, Bella," murmured Garrett. "Come on. They will be ok."

"Ok, Garrett," I whispered, standing up.

I kissed both my parents' cheeks before Garrett and I followed Kate and Emmett outside. Garrett pulled me into his rental car while Kate rode with Emmett. Once we got inside, we started driving to the school.

"You did really good in there, Bella," said Garrett.

"Thank you," I muttered.

"I know you are still scared, Bella. That fear will always be there. Trust me, I know but you can't let it win. You have to push it down and fight to live your life. It's the only way you are going to happy."

"What if I can't do it?"

"You can. Trust yourself and trust your family," he said, smiling. "They all love you, honey."

"Garrett?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"I love you," I whispered. "You're my best friend. I just wanted you to know."

"I love you too, honey," he whispered. "You're my best friend too. Just, um , don't tell Kate. She'll kick my ass."

"I won't," I chuckled. "Let's go get us some learning done."

"I don't think this place has anything to teach you, Bella," chuckled Garrett as we got out of the car. "Have you thought about college yet?"

"Not really," I said as I shrugged my shoulders. "Before I was taken, I wanted to be a concert pianist, but now, I am not sure what I want."

"I get that. You need to start thinking about it, though. Bella, you are too smart to waste your life living behind fear. You could be in college now if you wanted to be. I understand why you can't yet, but come this fall, you have to go."

"I know. I'll figure it out," I said as we walked into school.

Garrett and I made our way to my first period class. I noticed that people were staring at me less and less. I guess they see that I am ok. My morning classes passed quickly. In English, Mrs. Owens asked me to read one of the passages. I started to feel a little panic coming so I closed my eyes and felt Edward grab my hand as I recited it to the class. When I was done, I opened my eyes and noticed that she had a tear running down her face. I just gave her a gentle smile and she went on with class. We had a substitute teacher in History since Peter left with Lauren and Jessica. I heard a lot of people whispering about why they left. It was sad how people talk. They needed this chance and these people just didn't get that.

During Gym, Coach Clapp had everyone learn the relaxation techniques Kate, Rose, Alice and I had been working on yesterday. Garrett, Kate and I tried to help them find their happy places. A few of the kids broke down about how they really felt when I was taken. It went beyond them just missing me or being afraid that it could be them next. They felt that they had somehow let me down. Most of them felt that they should have been able to protect me. I wanted to tell them that they couldn't help me then but I was so overcome by my emotions that I just sobbed in Rose and Alice's arms while Garrett and Kate told them for me.

Garrett pulled out one of Carlisle's medical books for me to read during Spanish. Mrs. Goff chuckled and shook her head when she saw it. A few of the other kids, gasped when they saw me reading a medical book but I laughed. I spent the entire hour reading about the different types of cancer. I told Garrett I thought he had skin cancer because of the spot on his face. He asked me which spot. I pointed his nose and he laughed so loud that everyone stopped and looked at us. He got up and walked out of the classroom still laughing.

Once the bell rang for lunch, I gathered my things and followed Emmett out to the hall where Garrett was waiting for us. We started walking done to the cafeteria when I realized that I left my coat in class. I told them to go on with out me while I went to get my coat. I was on my way back to the cafeteria when I felt two people grab my arms and throw me into the lockers behind me.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed as I found Tyler and Eric holding my arms while Mike stood in front of me.

"I don't think we will be. What fucking lie did you tell them to get Jess and Lauren kicked out of school?" sneered Mike.

"IF YOU DON'T FUCKING LET ME GO NOW, I WILL FUCKING KICK YOUR FUCKING ASSES!" I screamed.

"NO, YOU STUPID LITTLE BITCH. YOU TOOK MY LIFE FROM ME. HER PARENTS WON'T TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!" shouted Mike in my face.

"If I were you, I would get your fucking hands off her," snapped Garrett as he came up to us.

"Or what? We are minors, you can't fucking touch us," smirked Mike.

"It's not me you should worry about. Bella, on the other hand, is trying really hard not to kick your fucking asses. If you don't let her go now, she will do it," he snapped.

"Oh really," smirked Mike. "Maybe I just want to see how good it would feel being inside her."

Mike reached down and grabbed my breast and I had enough. I kicked him hard in the nuts. I pulled my arms out of Tyler and Eric's grips and slammed them into the lockers. Mike got up and tried to grab me from behind. I grabbed his arm and threw him over my shoulder. I bent his hand back and stepped on the side of his face. Tyler and Eric were just laying on the ground staring at me. Everyone had come running out of the cafeteria when they heard us screaming at each other. I looked down at Mike.

"YOU WILL NEVER FUCKING TOUCH ME AGAIN!" I screamed. "YOU WILL NEVER FUCKING HURT ME AGAIN. YOU HAVE NO FUCKING RIGHT TO PUT YOUR HANDS ON MY BODY!"

"Bella, stop. You can let him go now," said Garrett as he came over and wrapped his arms around me. "You stopped him, honey. He can't hurt you anymore."

"He can't hurt me anymore," I whispered as I let go of Mike's hand and fell to the ground. "He can't control me any more. I'm free."

"That's right, honey. You're free, he can't hurt you anymore," whispered Garrett. "Edward."

Edward came over and pulled me into his arms as we sat on the floor. He wrapped his arms around me and held me as I finally let it all go.

"Garrett, what happened?" asked Eleazar as he came running from his office.

"You need to call the police. These three boys assaulted Bella in the hallway," explained Garrett. I looked up and noticed the he, Jasper, and Emmett were holding the boys against the wall.

"No, we didn't. We just wanted to talk to her. She went crazy and attacked us," snapped Mike. Garrett looked over at me and nodded his head. I took a deep breath as I stood up. I could do this.

"No, you didn't. Tyler and Eric grabbed my arms and threw me into the lockers. That is not talking to me. You got in my face and screamed at me because you blame me for Lauren and Jessica leaving. They had to go. They needed help. You can't help them when you are so full of anger. When they get back, and they will be back, they are going to need you guys. They are going to need you to love them and help them feel safe. You can't do that until you get rid of your anger. I warned you to let me go. I told you to get your hands off of me. I SAID NO!" I screamed the last part.

"Finish it, Bella," whispered Garrett.

"MIKE, YOU THREATENED TO RAPE ME. YOU GRABBED MY BREAST!" I screamed. "YOU DON'T GET TO TOUCH ME. I SAID NO."

"Good girl, honey," said Garrett. "Good girl."

"Let's take these boys to the office. The police should be here soon," said Eleazar. Mr. Banner came over and grabbed the boys from Garrett, Emmett and Jasper while Edward wrapped his arms around me and held me while I calmed down. Rose, Alice and Kate came over and wrapped their arms around us. They pulled me into an empty classroom and shut the door behind us.

"I'm free. Finally, I'm free," I whispered. "He really can't hurt me anymore."

"That's right, honey," smiled Garrett.

"He is dead. He can't hurt me," I whispered as a tear feel from my eye.

"That's right, Bella," said Kate. "You did it. You got rid of him."

"I am a survivor." I whispered. "We are survivors."

"Yes, we are, love. Our family made it," whispered Edward. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose came over and hugged us.

"We did it," whispered Alice.

"Together," whispered Jasper.

"Forever," said Rose.

"And Ever," whispered Emmett.

"And Ever," I whispered.

A few minutes later, the bell rang and we all went to our afternoon classes. Biology and Trig went by quickly. Mr. Varner was much nicer to me today. I don't know if that had anything to do with Garrett's threats or my well placed guilt treatment but I honestly didn't care. Regardless on how he treats me, I can survive it all. One the final bell rang, I put my stuff in my locker and followed Garrett out to his car. He just sat there for a minute before he turned to look at me.

"Bella, I need you to talk to one more person before Kate and I leave," he said, slowly.

"Ok," I said. "Who?"

"The man who saw you get abducted," he murmured. "He needs to see that you are ok."

"Ok. Let's go," I whispered as I pulled my knees to my chest.

Garrett started the car and pulled out of the parking lot and down to La Push. He pulled up in front of the house of Billy Black. Billy was a friend of Charlie's. They used to go fishing together when I was little. I didn't know him very well but I remember him being a very big man. I felt my body begin to shake a little as we climbed out of the car. Garrett wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me up to the porch. He knocked on the door softly. A few minutes later, the door was pulled open by a young russet skinned boy with long black hair who was a few years younger than me.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I'm Garrett Mitchell and this is Bella Swan. We are looking for Billy Black." said Garrett. The boys eyes went wide as he looked over at me.

"I'm Jacob. My dad's in the kitchen. Come on in," said Jacob as he stepped aside and let us in. "Dad, there are some people here who want to talk to you."

"Who-" said Billy as he rolled his wheelchair into the living room. He stopped when he saw me. He opened his mouth a couple times before he said, "Bella?"

"Hi, Billy," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.

"Is it really you?" he whispered as a tear fell from his eye.

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you," he cried. I went over and kneeled down next to him. I wrapped my arms around him. "I was driving down the street when I saw you getting pulled into his car. I jumped out and ran over toward you screaming for him to let you go but he pulled out so fast. I jumped in my truck and tried to follow him but he was faster. I ran to the nearest phone and called the police. I am so sorry I didn't stop him. It's all my fault."

"I remember you screaming for me. I know you tried. I don't blame you," I said, crying with him. "I tried to get to you but I couldn't get out. I was just a little girl. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't my fault. It was his fault."

"Are you ok?" whispered Billy.

"I'm ok now," I said, quietly. "Thank you for trying to help me."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," whispered Billy, falling into hysterical sobs.

"Let's go, Bella," whispered Garrett.

"Ok," I said. I looked back at Billy. "Can I come visit you again?"

"Anytime, Bella. My door is always open for you," said Billy. "You take care of yourself."

"I will," I said before Garrett and I walked out of the house and to the car.

"Bella!" yelled Jacob. I turned and saw him come running out of the house.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for coming and seeing him today. He has been beating himself up over you for a long time. Maybe I'll get my father back now," said Jacob.

"I hope you do." I looked around. "I really do. Take care of him."

"I will."

Garrett and I got into the car and drove back home. I hoped that Billy could find some peace now that he knew that I was ok. It's hard to live with the guilt of feeling powerless. Once we got home, we went inside. Everyone was waiting for us. I looked up at Garrett and knew it was time for him to go. I threw my arms around his neck.

"Garrett, I don't want you to leave," I cried.

"I have to go, honey," he whispered as he hugged me.

"No, I can't do it alone," I whispered.

"You aren't alone. You have your family," whispered Garrett. "I am just a phone call away. First flight I can get, remember? Just say the word, honey."

"I love you, brother," I whispered.

"I love you, sister," he whispered. "We have to go now."

"Ok," I muttered as I pulled away. I hugged Kate. "I love you, Kate. You will be my sister forever."

"And ever," whispered Alice as she and Rose hugged us.

"And ever," whispered Rose.

"And ever," whispered Kate. "I love you too, Bella. I am so proud of you."

"Thank you, Kate, for teaching me to fight back."

"You're welcome, Bella," she said as she pulled back and went over to Garrett. "Let's go home."

"Ok, honey," said Garrett. He and Kate turned and walked out of the house. I ran after them.

"Garrett?" I yelled. They stopped and turned to look at me.

"What?" he asked.

"Thank you for dragging me to Brazil. You saved my life," I said through my tears.

"You saved your life, honey. I just got to help," he smiled as a tear fell from his eye. "I have never been as proud of someone as I am of you."

Garrett and Kate got into their car and drove away. I felt my tears pouring down my face as I watched them drive down the street. I felt Edward come out and wrap his arms around me. He led me into the house. He took me upstairs to my room where we laid on my bed and cried together. Garrett gave me the chance to live again. Edward and I stayed wrapped in each other's arms for the rest of the day. As long as I had Edward, I was home.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I have really enjoyed them. We still have a bit to go on this story. Since I know that you all need a break from all this heavy stuff, go check out this great story that I just found. It's called 'Highway and Broken Hearts' by TanglingShadows. It's complete and can be found in my favorites. I believe it is number 93 or so. Seriously, go read it.**


	35. Chapter 35

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

The next six weeks went by quickly. The first few days after Garrett and Kate left were so hard. I was used to having them around me. I pulled back into myself and refused to talk to anyone but Edward. Finally, Emmett got pissed and called Garrett. He threw the phone at me and told me to talk to him. Garrett yelled at me to stop being a baby and start living. I screamed at him that I couldn't do it. He told me that I could do that I wasn't trying. I broke down and we cried on the phone for an hour before I promised to try.

I started attending therapy with Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice. The six of us were able to start the healing process. We all were angry with each other for what happened to each other. They weren't really mad at me for being taken but for giving up after I came home the first time. I understood that I scared them but I told them that I was scared. I didn't know how to get rid of the pain. We went to therapy with our parents also. Mostly, just Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, and Renee. William and Catherine would come every once in while but usually only if we pushed. Rose and Jasper never told us why and we didn't ask. Our parents were slowly learning to let us go. I think they held on to us so tightly because they were afraid that after I was taken that we wouldn't come back. We were working on communicating with them. I started teaching them all Judo. I wanted them to be able to help themselves. I think they just wanted to try to kick my ass. Like that would ever happen.

School was the hardest part for me. Everyone stared at me a lot after the incident with Mike, Tyler and Eric. I don't think it was because they were afraid of me but for me. They wanted to help but they couldn't help me. Mike, Tyler and Eric were put on probation and ordered to start therapy after they attacked me. They were pissed but I only hoped that they could get the help they needed. All of my teachers at school arranged for me to receive college credit for the college level work they gave me, including Mr. Varner. They were having a hard time finding work that wasn't too easy for me, so I spent a lot of time taking extra college courses online. By the time, I graduate from high school in June, I will have earned a hundred credit hours and will start college in the fall as a senior. I have spent a lot of time trying to decide what I want to do with my life. I'm still not sure. Edward, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice and I all decided to apply to Dartmouth. They were a little worried that they wouldn't be able to get in but I knew they would.

Christmas was good. It was hard for me to celebrate a holiday that I had missed for nearly six years. I was happy that I was finally with my family and happy. Renee bought me a charm bracelet. She explained that each charm was a symbol of my strengths. She said the heart was for how much I was loved. I pulled her into my arms and hugged her for a long time. It was her way of letting me go. Charlie bought me a barbell charm to go on my bracelet. He said it was to remind me that I can take care of myself, that I strong enough to keep fighting. Esme bought me a charm in the shape of a stove. She told me it was to remind me of all the flavors of the world. Carlisle bought me a band aide charm. He said that way I could fix my own wounds. Will and Cat both got me a charm in the shape of a book for the way I never stop learning. Emmett and Rose gave me a charm with our birthstone on it. Alice and Jasper gave me a charm with a piano for my determination. I thanked them all for all their gifts. Garrett and Kate sent me a journal so I could write my feeling. They each wrote me a little note inside telling me that I was strong and beautiful. I sent them a CD I made of me playing the piano, including a song that Edward and I wrote for them. I put a note inside that reminded them that they were my family, too.

Edward wrapped his arms around me and took me out to the hammock. Even though it was freezing, I felt warm in his arms. Edward pulled out a small black box. Inside the box was a sliver promise ring. He slipped the ring onto my right ring finger and promised to love me forever. I knew he would. I gave him a watch that I had the words, Keeper of my Heart and Soul, inscribed on it. I promised to love him forever. My relationship with Edward was stronger than it ever was. He went slow and never pushed for more than I could give him. I wasn't ready to give him my body completely yet but we explored each other quite thoroughly. Our love was intense and sometimes it scared me but I had to trust him. He was my home.

Today was the first day of February. It was a cold, wet, dreary Saturday morning in Forks. I woke up again with a feeling that something bad was going to happen. I had been trying to shake this feeling for a few days. I couldn't quite shake the feeling as I got up and took a shower. I quickly got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Charlie and Renee were already at the coffee shop. I grabbed a couple pieces of toast and sat down at the table as Emmett came in.

"Morning, B," smiled Emmett.

"Morning," I mumbled.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting in the seat next to me.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen. I've had it for a few days," I whispered, tossing my toast back onto my plate. "I don't maybe I am just being silly."

"No, you're not," said Emmett. "Do you need me to call Garrett?"

"No, let me try to work it out," I said. "So what's the plans for the day?"

"We thought we might go hang out at the mall. Maybe catch a movie," said Emmett, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sound good," I said as I stood up. "Can I drive?"

"No," he chuckled.

"You are going to have to teach me sooner or later," I huffed.

"No, I don't," he chuckled. "Besides, I don't trust you to drive my jeep, honey."

"I really don't like being called honey," I growled as I stomped outside.

"I know," chuckled Emmett. "That's why I do it."

"You are so annoying," I muttered as I punched him in the arm. He started rubbing his arm as we went over to the Cullen's. Edward pulled the door open before I could ring the bell.

"What's the fool done now, love?" chuckled Edward.

"He called me honey," I grumbled. "Only Garrett gets to call me honey."

"Emmett, when are you going to learn?" chuckled Rose. "She can totally kick your ass. Stop antagonizing her."

"I could take her if she didn't cheat," he mumbled.

"I don't cheat, dear brother, I am just stronger, quicker and prettier than you are," I laughed.

"Defiantly prettier," chuckled Edward before he kissed me hard.

"That's enough mushy crap," chuckled Alice. "Let's go shopping!"

We all laughed as we loaded up in the jeep and went down to the mall. Alice, Rose and I spent a couple hours shopping. I found a couple of cute dresses that I could put leggings on under so I wouldn't have to show my scars. I had been using this new cream to help smooth out the scars. It had helped a lot but I had a lot of scars. Maybe in time, I will feel comfortable with how my body looked. After buying our clothes, we met the boys for lunch at the food court. Angela and Ben joined us for lunch before they had to go baby sit her little brothers. I had gotten to know them both better for the last month and I felt like I could trust them. After lunch, we decided to skip the movie since there really wasn't anything we wanted to watch out. We went home and decided to hang out at my house.

"Hey, Em, grab the mail," I hollered as I climbed out of the jeep. I followed the others to the porch.

"B," said Emmett. I turned and saw him standing by the mail box with two large white envelopes in his hand.

"What's that, Em?" I asked.

"They are from Dartmouth," he said, looking up at me. I slowly walked down to him. He handed me my envelope. My hands were shaking as I ripped it open. I pulled out the letter and catalog. I slowly started to read it out loud.

"Dear, Miss Swan, It is our pleasure to welcome you to Dartmouth University in the Fall of 2009 as a senior," I whispered. I felt the tears fall down my face as I looked up at everyone. "I did it. I got in."

"I knew you would, love," smiled Edward. "I got my letter yesterday."

"You got in?" I asked.

"Yes," he chuckled.

"Me too," muttered Rose.

"We did too," said Alice, gesturing to her and Jasper.

"Rosie, Ali, and J, you are going to Dartmouth with us?" I asked.

"Yep," smiled Jasper. I turned back to Emmett

"Em, open it," I said. Emmett was just standing there, looking at his. "Come on, Em. Open it."

"What if they said no?" he whispered.

"What if they said yes?" I said, placing my hand on his arm. "Open it."

"Ok." He ripped his envelope and pulled out his letter. "It is our pleasure to welcome you to Dartmouth University in the Fall of 2009 …"

"I'm so proud of you, Em," I squealed as I pulled him into my arms. "I am so proud of you."

"I love you, B," he whispered as he let his tears fall. "Let's go tell Mom and Dad."

"Ok."

The six of us climbed into the car and drove down to the coffee shop after calling Esme, Carlisle, Will and Cat to meet us there. They were all sitting at the counter when we came running it. They all looked a little nervous. I just walked over to Renee and handed her mine and Emmett's letter. She read them slowly. She snapped her head up at me and let her tears fall as she smiled and hugged us.

"You did it. I am so proud of my babies," she cried.

"What did they do?" asked Charlie.

"Em and I got into Dartmouth," I said, proudly.

"Oh, that's great," cheered Charlie, hugging us. "Congratulations to both of you."

"Edward and I also got into Dartmouth," said Alice.

"So did me and Jasper," said Rose. "We will be going together."

"Congratulations, kids," smiled Carlisle as my cell phone rang. I pulled it out and saw that it was Kate.

"Hey Kate, you're-"

"Bella?" whispered Kate. She sounded so broken.

"What's wrong, Kate?" I said, loudly. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me.

"It's Garrett. He needs you," she cried.

"What happened to Garrett?" I demanded.

"He is in Chicago. He went to speak at the university about the work he does. Bella, his parents found him," she whispered.

"WHAT?" I screamed. "HOW?"

"I don't know. The police have them in custody. Bella, they beat him badly. He needs you. He is all alone. He won't let me come," she sobbed. "Please help him. I can't lose him, too."

"We are on the first flight. I will bring him home. I promise to help him, Kate," I said before I hung up. I turned and looked at everyone. "Ali, I need you to get me and E on the next flight to Chicago. E, go home and pack your bags. Em, go with him and get my bags packed. Be back in five minutes. Pack for at least a couple weeks."

"Ok." They ran out of the shop. Alice pulled out her cell phone and called the airlines.

"Dad, do you still have your handcuffs?" I asked.

"Bella, what is going on?" asked Renee.

"Garrett needs me. I have to go help him," I said. "Do you still have your handcuffs? Do you?"

"Yes, but -"

"I need to borrow them," I said as I pulled out my cell phone. I hit speed dial number five. Charlie tossed me his handcuffs.

"Hello?"

"Judge Volturi. This is Bella Swan. Do you remember me?" I asked.

"Of course I do, dear. How are you?"

"I need a favor, sir."

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I need you to give me a court order saying that Garrett Mitchell has to go with me. Please, sir, he needs me right now."

"Is he hurt?"

"Yes, sir. I am going to help him but he isn't going to want to go with me."

"Ok. Where is he?"

"He is at Chicago Memorial Hospital."

"It will be waiting for you arrive. Take care of him, Bella."

"I will. Thank you, sir," I said as I hung up the phone. "Rosie, when Em gets back, I need you, Em, Ali and J on the next flight to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Kate needs you. She can't handle this alone. E and I will bring Garrett back in a couple days. I need you to take care of her. She is going to need you all to stay strong for her. Let her cry. Just help her."

"Ok, B," said Rose as she pulled out her cell phone.

"Bella, you can't go to Chicago. Rose, you can't go to Brazil," said Carlisle.

"You don't understand. They found him. They broke him. I have to help him. Kate can't lose him. He is all she has," I said.

"Bella, who found him?" asked Esme.

"His parents. They found him and beat him severely," I explained as Edward came running in.

"B, your flight leaves in twenty minutes," said Alice.

"Ok, I love you all," I said as I grabbed Edward's hand and turned to the door. Charlie grabbed my arm to stop me.

"Bella, you can't go," he whispered.

"Dad, I am the only one who can help him," I said as I pulled my arm from his grip. "He saved my life. I have to save his now."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Told you we weren't done.**


	36. Chapter 36

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

GPOV

It was much harder leaving Bella in Forks than I thought it was going to be. In all the years that I have been working with people, I have never been so affected as I was by her. She was the strongest person I had ever met. She worked so hard to rebuild her life and work through the pain. I will admit that when she first came with me to Brazil, I wasn't sure if I would be able to save her. Especially when I heard everything that monster had done to her. It had been a long time since I have felt that angry. She nearly gave her life to protect her family. I don't think they would ever really know how much she took for them. We had more in common than I thought we had. We had both lived in the deepest pits of hell and lived to tell about it. When I saw her tearstained face begging me to stay with her, I almost did but I had to let her go. So Kate and I got into our rental car and drove away. I watched in the rear view mirror as she stood on the porch looking lost. Once we were on the plane, Kate and I wrapped our arms around each other and sobbed like a fucking baby. Bella was our sister and we had to let her go.

Once we got home, it was hard to get Bella out of my head. I would listen to someone playing the piano in the music room and I would remember the day that Bella finally push through it all and asked for me to help her. I would sit in my office for hours and read through the medical books that she would pour over. She was the smartest person I had ever met. I found it difficult when she was here with us to find enough work to challenge her. She had so much potential in life. I knew that she was going to make her life count.

A few days after we got home, Emmett called. He said that Bella was refusing to speak to anyone but Edward. He said she was shutting down again. I told him to let me talk to her. I needed to hear her voice as much as she needed to hear mine. I had been doing the same thing. It was time for both us to start living again. After I told her to stop being a fucking baby and to try to live again, we both broke down and cried to together. We both had to move on and start living.

I spent the next few weeks working. I went back to Arizona after Christmas and gave Judge Volturi my report on the case of Bella Swan. He was relieved to hear that she was doing so good. He knew she still had a long way to go but she could do it. I spent the next few weeks, lecturing at different Universities on the work I do to help people deal with the pain. How was I supposed to know that my pain was just starting again?

_I was walking back to my car after my lecture at the University of Chicago. It didn't go as well as I had hoped. Some fucker in the back kept asking me question that I couldn't answer. Why do I do this? What really happened to me? It wasn't a part of my life that I share with too many people. I had only told my story to three people, Kate, Judge Volturi and Bella. I was about ten feet from my car when suddenly fifteen men swooped down on me. I stopped and looked around me. I looked behind me and I felt the air leave my entire body._

"_What are you fucking doing here?" I snapped at my fucking parents._

"_We wanted to see our darling boy," sneered Jane._

"_Get the fuck away from me. Don't ever come near me again," I snapped as I went to get to my car. I could feel my body shaking with my rage and fear. _

"_You can't hide from us anymore," sneered Alec._

"_You are nothing to me. You are a fucking piece of shit," I bellowed._

"_You are nothing. I will fucking prove it. GET HIM!" screamed Jane._

_They all came at me. I tried to fight them. I mean, I really tried but there were too many of them. One of them slammed my head against the ground and I passed out. When I woke up I was back in that house. They had me tied to the table again. I looked around __the room frantically. I pulled at the ropes on my arms and feet but I couldn't move them. I moved my head and felt a rope around my neck. Suddenly the light in the room came on. I tasted the bile that rose in my throat when I found myself surrounded by naked men again._

"_Please don't do this again," I whispered as I let the tears fall from my eyes._

"_You must be trained again, son," smirked Alec. "You broke the rules and now you must be punished."_

_One of the men climbed on top of me on the table. I thrashed trying to break free but he punched me and pulled out a knife. He held it to my neck as he forced himself into me over and over. One by one the men climbed on me and hurt me. They tore me and cut me. They hit me. They broke me again._

"_NOOOOOOOOO. STOP. KILL ME NOW!" I screamed. _

"_If you want us to my darling boy," smiled Jane._

_Jane raised the knife in her hands over my body. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to end. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang. I snapped my eyes open and saw the police swarming into the room. They came over to pull me off the table but I screamed at them not to touch me as I fell into the darkness once again. I prayed that I would die quickly. _

I snapped my eyes open and looked around the room I was in. The bright florescent lights were blinding me. I laid in the bed and sobbed when I realized that I wasn't dead. I couldn't go through this again. I couldn't live through the pain this time. I'm not sure how long I laid like that before the door to my room opened. I turned to see a red haired doctor come in.

"Mr. Mitchell. I'm Victoria Hunt. I'm your doctor. How are you today?" she asked softy.

"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I AM?" I shouted. Victoria flinched slightly at the harshness in my voice but I honestly didn't fucking give a shit.

"Your wife will be here tomorrow," Victoria said. "You are healing from your injuries and can leave as soon as she gets here."

"I don't want her here," I muttered. "You tell her not to come. You tell her I don't need her."

"Garrett-" she started.

"TELL HER I DON'T NEED ANYBODY. GET THE FUCK OUT AND LEAVE ME TO DIE!" I shouted. "GET OUT. GET THE FUCK OUT."

I picked up the stuff on the table next to me and started throwing them at her. She quickly ran out of the room. A few minutes later, four orderlies came in and put the restrains on my arms and feet. I thrashed around to pull them off but I couldn't get them to budge. Once they did their jobs, they left me sobbing to myself. When was it going to end?

For three days, I laid in that bed. I refused to talk to anyone. Kate called several times but I couldn't talk to her. I couldn't hear the pain in her voice. I didn't want her to hear mine. She deserved someone stronger than me. She deserved better than to have to be stuck with a nothing like me. They tried to force me to eat but just the smell of food made me want to vomit. They brought in a psychoanalyst to try to 'talk to me'. Those mother fuckers had no idea what real pain felt like. To have your body ripped to pieces, to feel your soul being pulled away from you. How can they help me when they have no idea how I felt?

When the door to my room opened again, I knew it was Bella.

"GET OUT, BELLA."

"No," she snapped

"GET OUT, BELLA!" I shouted as I turned to face her. "LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"

"NO!" she screamed. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE BED!"

"NO!"

"Garrett," said Bella, "get out of the bed. We have to go."

"I don't want to," I whispered. "I can't do this again."

"Garrett, yes, you can," Bella murmured as she climbed into the bed with me. "Come on, brother. You have to do this."

"I can't do it," I cried. I felt her wrap her arms around me as I let my tears fall. "I thought they were in jail. I never thought I would have to see them again."

"I know," Bella whispered as she slipped the handcuff on me. "But you have to face them one more time."

"NO!" I shouted. "I AM NOT GOING."

"Yes, you are. You don't have a choice," she said. "See that nice judge in Arizona gave me a court order saying that you have to come with me. Now shut the fuck up and lets go, honey."

"FINE!" I shouted. "I HATE YOU, BELLA!"

"You will thank me for this one day," Bella whispered softly. "I know it is scary, Gar, but you have to do this. It's time to say goodbye."

"Whatever," I grumbled.

Edward and Bella dragged me out of my room. Victoria offered to give me a shot for the pain. I was fixing to accept it when Bella told her to fuck off. She said I needed the fucking pain right now. Stupid little bitch. I know she was right but, fuck, it would have felt good. Edward drove while Bella sat in the back seat with me. I just stared out the window. I couldn't let Bella see how broken I really was. I was supposed to be there for her. I was supposed to be helping her. She didn't need to watch me cry. I didn't deserve to have a sister like her.

Once we pulled into the parking lot of the police station, Edward cut the engine but we didn't get it out.

"Come on, Garrett," Bella said. "You can do this."

"I don't want to," I mumbled. "I don't want to look at them."

"You need to," she whispered.

"I don't want to," I mumbled again.

"You really are a fucking stubborn piece of shit," snapped Bella. "You have the chance to tell those fucking bastards how much you hate them but you are scared. I would love the chance to face him. Push the fear away and grow a pair already."

"I can't see them. I want to kill them," I snapped.

"Tell me what happened," she whispered. I closed my eyes and told her everything.

I sat there in the backseat and told Bella everything. It was humiliating to have to tell her how much they hurt me, broke me, used me. Bella understood better than anyone what I went through but I was supposed to be her rock, not the other way around. My tears flowed freely along with Bella's. While Edward didn't make a sound from his seat in the front, I could see his tears falling through the rear view mirror.

"I hate them, Bella," I muttered. "They took everything from me again."

"Go tell them," Bella urged. "I will be with you, I promise."

"You won't leave me?" I cried.

"No, I won't leave you."

"Ok," I whispered. "I'll go."

Bella took off the handcuff and we made our way into the police station slowly. A lot of people stared at us but I just growled at them. Bella dragged me to the counter while Edward took a seat to wait for us. He knew that Bella and I needed to do this alone. He was a good man for Bella. She handed the officer her court order and demanded that we get to see them. He looked at her like she was fucking insane. When he saw the glare that was radiating off Bella, he turned and practically ran from the room. I chuckled inwardly at how he was scared of Bella. She can be a real scary bitch sometimes.

A few minutes later we were taken to one of the interrogation rooms. We only had to wait a few minutes before the door opened and _they_ came into the room. I couldn't stand the thought of them being my parents, they were just they. They chuckled when they saw me. Alec looked over at her and smiled, a creepy ass smile. He had a look in his eye that scared the fucking shit out of me. I was fixing to tell the officer to take them out when Alec opened his fucking mouth when he looked over at me.

"What the fuck do you want?" asked Alec. I flinched back, feeling every ounce of hatred in his tone.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Bella screamed at them. Alec turned and looked at her again. His eyes got wide and he full out laughed.

"Who do you fucking think you are?" snapped Jane.

"I am the one person who is stopping him from ripping your fucking head off. Now sit down," Bella snapped.

"Does the poor baby need a body guard?" cackled Jane.

"What a pretty little bitch you are?" chuckled Alec. I saw red when Alec talked to my sister like that.

"DON'T FUCKING TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!" I shouted. "YOU DON'T GET TO TALK TO HER. YOU WILL FUCKING LISTEN TO ME NOW. I FUCKING HATE YOU FOR RUINING MY LIFE. I WAS A FUCKING BABY. YOU STOLE EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

"Keep going," Bella whispered.

"I hate you. You stole my brother from me. I hate you," I whispered as I let my tears fall.

"Louder." said Bella

"I hate you. You stole my brother from me. I hate you," I whispered a little louder.

"LOUDER GAR, TELL THEM HOW THEY HURT YOU. LET IT OUT!" Bella screamed.

"I HATE YOU. YOU STOLE MY BROTHER FROM ME. I HATE YOU!" I shouted as loud as I could.

"We didn't do anything to you." snapped Jane. Alec was still staring at Bella.

"You were always a pretty little thing. You tasted good, too," chuckled Alec as he reached out and grabbed Bella's arm and pulled her to him.

Bella's entire body began to shake violently as she fell to the floor. I ripped his arm off of her as the police came in and threw them against the wall. Bella started thrashing around on the floor like she was trying to fight someone one. The officers just stood there and stared as she started tearing at her stomach and chest as she screamed.

"NOOOOOO! GET THE FUCK OFF ME. DON'T HURT ME!" screamed Bella.

"GO GET EDWARD CULLEN FROM THE WAITING ROOM!" I barked at one of the officers. He just stood there stunned. "GET HIM NOW!"

He didn't say anything as he took off running. Bella started to arch her back as her body started to shake even more. She had tears running down her face as Edward came in and helped me hold her down.

"NOOOOOOOOOO. LEAVE ME ALONE!" Bella screamed_._

"Bella, stop," I whispered. Bella snapped her eyes open and she looked around the room. She looked over at Alec. She pulled away from us and lunged at him as she started screaming again.

"YOU FUCKING HURT ME. YOU TOUCHED ME. I FUCKING SAID NO. I FUCKING CRIED AND BEGGED YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE. YOU KEPT HURTING ME. I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" screamed Bella. She was shaking. If I didn't stop her, she would kill him and Bella was too good to kill him.

"BELLA, STOP!" I shouted as I threw my arms around her. "TALK TO ME, HONEY."

"HE WAS ONE OF THE MEN. HE RAPED ME ON THE FUCKING TABLE!" Bella screamed.

I felt my body shake as I let go of Bella. I jumped and lunged at my father. The police pulled me back. I wanted to rip him to shreds. He hurt Bella. He broke Bella. She was the best person I had ever met. He had put his filthy hands on her when she was just a baby.

"HOW DARE YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER. SHE WAS A BABY. WHAT KIND OF EVIL MONSTER ARE YOU?" I shouted as I fought against the police. "FUCKING LET ME GO. I FUCKING HATE YOU."

"GARRETT, STOP!" Bella screamed. I stopped and pulled her into my arms. Bella turned to look at Alec who was just chuckling. "YOU AREN'T FUCKING WORTH IT."

"What is going on here?" asked one of the police officers. "When did he rape you, Bella?"

**Didn't see that one coming, did you? Thank you for all the reviews.**


	37. Chapter 37

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

BPOV

_I was laying chained on the table again. I had my eyes closed when I felt a hand started running down my body. It wasn't the same as his hand usually was. I opened my eyes and found a naked blond haired man looking at me. He had a skull tattoo on the left side of his chest. I felt my body begin to shake._

"_She is a pretty little thing," chuckled the blond man._

"_She is a good little whore," said my captor, nodding his head. He reached over and shoved his fingers into me. He pulled them out and offered them to the blond man. "Have a taste."_

_The blond man, snaked his tongue out around my captors fingers and moaned. "She is tasty. You won't sell her to me?"_

"_No, I am keeping her for myself," my captor chuckled, "but you can have a go at her."_

"_That I will," he sneered at me. _

"_NOOOOOOO. GET THE FUCK OFF ME. DON'T TOUCH ME!" I screamed as I tried to break free._

_He punched me hard in the face before he climbed on the table and forced himself in me. I screamed and cried as he pushed himself into me over and over. I could feel the tears pouring down my face while he hit me and hurt me. I felt the pain when he pulled out a knife and cut into my breast._

"_NOOOOOOOOOO. LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed._

"Bella, stop," whispered Garrett.

I snapped my eyes open. Garrett was kneeling next to me on the floor. Edward was holding me in his arms. The police had Alec and Jane pushed against the wall. I felt my body still shaking with rage. I threw them off of me as I jumped and lunged for them.

"YOU FUCKING HURT ME. YOU TOUCHED ME. I FUCKING SAID NO. I FUCKING CRIED AND BEGGED YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE. YOU KEPT HURTING ME. I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed.

"BELLA, STOP!" shouted Garrett as he threw his arms around me. "TALK TO ME, HONEY."

"HE WAS ONE OF THE MEN. HE RAPED ME ON THE FUCKING TABLE!" I screamed. Garrett pushed me back into Edward's arms before he lunged at his father. The police pulled him back.

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER. SHE WAS A BABY. WHAT KIND OF EVIL MONSTER ARE YOU?" shouted Garrett as he fought against the police. "FUCKING LET ME GO. I FUCKING HATE YOU."

"GARRETT, STOP!" I screamed. Garrett stopped and pulled me into his arms. I turned to look at Alec who was just chuckling. "YOU AREN'T FUCKING WORTH IT."

"What is going on here?" asked one of the police officers. "When did he rape you, Bella?"

"I…I…" I started but I could feel Alec's eyes on me. I could feel the tears pouring down my face as I was faced with the pain again. Garrett moved so that he was standing between us. He reached out and put his hands on my face and wiped my tears away.

"Bella, talk me," said Garrett. "Just talk to me.

"Nine months ago. It was two weeks before the police found me in Phoenix, I was tied to the table…" As I recounted the events of that fateful day, Garrett pulled me into his arms, rubbing my soothingly. I hated that he had to hear how his father had hurt me. Garrett was my brother, he shouldn't have had to hear that. "…when he was done, he climbed off of me and said 'I knew you were a pretty little thing. I will see you soon, whore,' Then he let me with him," I cried. Edward had his hand on my shoulder, reminding me that he was there. I hated that he had to face this asshole, too.

"Are you sure it was him?" asked one of the police officers.

"He…he…has a skull tattoo in the left side of his chest," I muttered. The police officer went over and pulled Alec's jumpsuit open and revealed the tattoo.

"Take them to their cells. We will be contacting the police in Arizona about this," snapped the police officer. They dragged Alec and Jane out of the room. I felt my entire body shake with my sobs. "Bella, are you ok?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "I thought I was."

"We'll be fine, honey," whispered Garrett as he let a tear fall. "Let's go home."

"I can't go back to Forks," I murmured. "I can't face them yet. They were so mad at us for leaving."

"We aren't. We are going to Brazil," he said. "Come on, honey. Let's go."

"Ok."

The police told us that we had to stay here while they got everything sorted out but Garrett and I both started shaking as we felt the panic. We needed to go home. Edward grabbed my cell phone and called Judge Volturi. He explained everything that had happened today to him. Edward just handed the phone over to the chief of police. He smirked as he put it up to his ear. I could hear Judge Volturi yell into the phone. The Chief's eyes grew wide and the color left his face as he listened to the ranting judge. He just said yes sir and handed the phone back to Edward. Edward thanked him for helping us and promised to keep in touch. The chief told them to let us leave. They tried to apologize to us but we both just flipped them off and walked out of the room.

Garrett, Edward and I made our way out to the car. Edward told us what the judge had said while we drove to the airport. We climbed onto the airplane and buckle up. I felt like all the progress I had made was gone. I felt like the same old scared, afraid Bella. I wanted to be the happy Bella again. I had just gotten my life back together. A few hours ago, I was celebrating with my family. I was excited about going to Dartmouth. Now it all seemed like a waste. Was I ever going to be able to have a normal life? Was I ever going to be happy? I pulled my knees to my chest as Garrett and Edward wrapped their arms around me and cried. Once the plane was in the air. I let it all out.

"Garrett, I'm sorry I made you go see them," I whispered.

"I'm not. It felt good to finally get it out," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't stop him all those years ago, honey. Then he wouldn't have been able to hurt you ."

"There was always somebody hurting me. If it wasn't him, it was someone else."

"Honey, you know you are going to have to testify," whispered Garrett.

"I know," I sobbed.

"You can do it. We can do it together," whispered Garrett.

"I hope you're right," I whispered. "I really hope you are right."

We spent the rest of the flight in silence. Edward didn't say a word the whole time Garrett and I talked. He understood that this was how we work. Garrett and I need each other right now. I knew that when I was ready Edward would listen to me. He was my happy place, after all. Edward called our parents and told them about Alec. They were pissed that I had dragged Garrett to the police station and put myself in that position but Edward told them to shut the fuck up and listen. He said this was how we heal. He told them we were staying in Brazil for awhile. They threatened to come and get us but I just pulled the phone out of his hand and hung up on them. They called all three of our cell phones repeatedly until we just turned them off.

Twenty hours later we landed in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. We slowly exited the plane, physically and emotionally exhausted, and made our way through the airport. We caught a cab down to the docks and loaded onto the boat. Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the island. Kate, Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper were waiting for us.

"Baby, I am so sorry I pushed you away," cried Garrett as he pulled Kate into his arms.

"I know, baby. You needed Bella. I understand," murmured Kate. "Did you see them?"

"Oh yeah, I saw the fucking child raping bastards," growled Garrett.

"What?" asked Emmett.

"My fucking piece of shit father was one of them men who raped Bella," Garrett whispered.

**GPOV**

"WHAT?" shouted Emmett as Bella took off running. Edward just sighed and took of after her.

"He hurt her. He hurt her because I didn't stop him back then," I cried as I fell to my knees. "It's all my fault."

"Garrett, it isn't your fault, honey," said Kate as she knelt down next to me. The others knelt down next to us and hugged us.

"I am so tired of the pain. I was happy. My life was good. I had you. I was really helping people. I finally got a sister," I whispered through my tears. "She is the strongest person I have ever met. I should have been able to protect her. I should have killed him all those years ago."

"Garrett, you have to let it go," said Emmett, placing his hand on my back. "You and Bella have to work through this together. You can do it."

"I don't know if I can," I cried. "I failed her. I should have been able to protect her."

"You can't protect her," said Alice. "You can only love her, Garrett. She just needs you to love her. You need her to love you. You can do it."

"Garrett, we aren't giving up on either of you," said Jasper. "You and Bella are going work it out. We don't give up on family and, Brother, that means we aren't going to give up on you."

"Do you promise?" I whispered.

"We promise," said Emmett. "You gave me my sister back and I'll do everything I to help you, too, brother."

"Ok." I whispered. "I'll try."

Emmett pulled me and Kate up and we followed the others to the dinning room. Peter, Charlotte, Lauren, Jessica, and Benjamin were sitting at the table with a dark haired girl. She was fuming about something. I just rolled my eyes. Fucking drama queens. All of their eyes grew wide when they saw my face and arms. I turned to leave but Emmett and Jasper pulled me to the table.

"Garrett, you ok, man?" asked Peter.

"No," I muttered.

"You will be," he whispered. I kind of wanted to punch him in the face right then.

"Who's your hostage, Benjamin?" I asked. I needed to take the focus off of me.

"This is Tia. Tia, this is Garrett. Tia got here yesterday," he said.

"What the fuck happened to you?" snapped Tia.

"None of your fucking business," I snapped back. "What's your fucking story?"

"You don't fucking need to know," she sneered at me.

"Tia, he does fucking need to know," snapped Benjamin. "He is the fucking boss here."

"I don't fucking give a shit," growled Tia.

Just then the door to the dinning room opened again. Bella and Edward came in with their arms wrapped around each other. Tia rolled her fucking eyes at them. I was going to enjoy watching Bella take her down a couple notches. Bella sat in the chair next to me and pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder while Edward grabbed her hand. I knew that I had to get through this for Bella.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Pretty intense chapter. **


	38. Chapter 38

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

BPOV

Everyone turned and looked at me. It was too much to handle so I turned and ran from them. I went and sat in the sand on the beach. I just couldn't face them yet. I didn't want to have to face it all again. I pulled my knees up to my chest and let my tears flow. I thought I was finally moving on. I had put all behind me. Now I was in the dark again. I wanted it to end. I was tired of the pain, the setbacks. I wanted to rip that monster into pieces. I wanted him to rot in hell. I was tired of having to deal with it all. Edward sat down next to me and pulled me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

"It's not fair, E. I was finally moving on with my life," I whispered.

"I know," he whispered.

"Why do men like that think it is ok to hurt kids?" I asked.

"I don't know, love. I wish I did," he grumbled as he let his tears fall. "I could kill him for touching you. I wanted to beat the fucking shit out of him. I have never felt such a surge of rage but I couldn't do it. It wasn't my fight."

"I want to hurt him so much," I whispered. "I really, really want him to feel every ounce of pain he gave me and Garrett. I want to kill him."

"But you know you can't do it," he said.

"I know," I sighed, regretfully.

"Let's go find the others," whispered Edward.

Edward and I walked with our arms wrapped around each other back to the resort. I pointed out everything as we passed them. I saw his eyes twinkle when I pointed out the piano room. We found everyone in the dinning room. Peter, Lauren, Jessica, Charlotte, one other guy and one other girl were sitting at the table with the others. I saw her fucking roll her eyes at me, stupid bitch. We went in and I sat next to Garrett. I pulled my knees up to my chest and laid my head on his shoulder.

"You ok, honey?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Edward reached over and grabbed my hand.

"No, but I will be. Are you ok?" I whispered.

"No, but I will be," he muttered. "Bella, Edward, this is Tia and Benjamin. He brought Tia here yesterday. Tia, this is Bella and Edward. Bella is one of our on going success stories."

"Let me guess. Daddy touched you and you can't live with the shame and the guilt," sneered Tia. I narrowed my eyes at her and clenched my fist tightly.

"Bella, would you like to share your fucking story with Tia?" snapped Garrett when he saw the fury on my face.

"I don't fucking want to hear it," seethed Tia standing up. Lauren and Jessica were just sitting there, looking between the two of us as we glared at each other.

"SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!" shouted Benjamin, yanking her back into her seat. Tia fell back into her seat. "You will fucking listen to her."

"Don't you fucking sit there and belittle one thing that I have been through, because, Honey I've been through everything your pretty little head can imagine," I said, bitterly.

"I'm sure it was so sad when Daddy put his hands between your legs," she said, harshly. "I bet you got on it."

"I was kidnapped when I was eleven and held for almost six years. During those six years, I was tortured in every fucking way you can think of and then some. I was whored out to other men and I begged God to save me every fucking day," I yelled, slamming my hands on the table. "Just when I was getting my life straight I found one of the fucking men that raped me while I was chained to the fucking table. So get the fucking chip off your shoulder, honey, because mine is fucking bigger."

"Whatever," she mutter as she got up and walked out of the room. It felt good to wipe the smirk off her fucking face.

"It's nice to meet you, Benjamin," I said, looking over at him.

"You too, Bella. I have heard a lot about you from Garrett and Kate. Have you really beaten him nine straight times?" he asked, suppressing his smile.

"Yes," I smirked.

"I let you win, honey," grumbled Garrett.

"Sure you did, honey," I smirked. Benjamin chuckled as he left the room. I looked over at Lauren and Jessica. "How are you guys doing?"

"Ok, I guess," muttered Lauren.

"Yeah," mumbled Jessica.

"Girls," said Peter. "This is your chance to tell her. Be honest. She deserves to hear it."

"I realize that while it's not my fault that he took you, it is my fault that we didn't tell anyone," said Lauren.

"If we hadn't let our fear and shame control us we could have helped you instead of hurting you more," said Jessica.

"And?" Peter asked.

"And I know that I have to find other ways to deal with the pain instead if cutting. I have to focus on not letting it control me," said Jessica.

"I have to let others help me instead of trying to do it on my own," said Lauren.

"It's hard to let it all go but it is better than holding on to it," I whispered.

"We have to let it go, don't we?" whispered Garrett as tear fell from his eye.

"Yes, we do, Gar," I whispered as I cried with him. "We have to let it go. It's the only way to heal…again."

"Well, girls, you had better get to bed. We are going home tomorrow," said Peter.

"But we aren't ready," whispered Lauren.

"Yes, you are." said Peter.

"What if they hate us?" whispered Jessica.

"Then they hate you. You can't control how others see you. Only how you see you," said Charlotte.

"Besides, they don't know anything," I muttered. They both looked up at me surprised. "It wasn't my story to share. When you are ready, you can tell them."

"Thanks, Bella," they both whispered.

They both stood up and walked out of the room with Peter and Charlotte. I looked back at everyone. They were all watching me. I knew they wanted to hear all the detail. I knew they had earned the right. I just didn't want to tell them.

"Why are you looking at me?" I muttered, darkly.

"B, what happened?" asked Emmett.

"I don't know." I whispered. "I was trying to help Garrett. I took him to the police station so he could confront them. When they walked into the room, I saw him and I just had this feeling like I had seen him before."

"Even though I didn't want to be there, I knew I had to," said Garrett. "I had to do it for my brother, who never would get that chance. They were just…spiteful sons of bitches. They asked why we were there and he kept looking at her. I should have taken her out then, but…"

"I wouldn't have let you," I muttered. "Garrett needed to tell them to go to hell. It's an important part of our healing process, facing the past and all. Garrett was telling them how much he hated them when…"

"Alec grabbed her arm," said Garrett, picking up the story for me. "She started having an attack so I yelled at them to get Edward because I knew she needed him. When I got her to snap out of it, she told us how he had been one of the men who had raped her. I wanted to fucking kill him. If the police hadn't stopped me, I would have."

"I would have, too," muttered Edward, leaning over and kissing the side of my head.

"I told the police about the tattoo he has and they took them away. I'm going to have to testify against him." I laid my head on my knees.

"Are you sure you can handle that?" whispered Emmett.

"No, but I have to." I whispered. "I have to make sure they go to jail so they can't hurt anyone else ever again. I just don't know how I am going to do."

"We have to," said Edward. I looked up at him. "We have to, love."

"We have to," I murmured. "Let's go to bed, E."

"Ok, love," he whispered. I looked over at Garrett.

"I'm here if you need me tonight," I said, bringing my hand up to his face.

"Me too, honey. Just say the word," he said, leaning into my hand.

After we bid everyone goodnight, Edward and I made our way to our room. Our bags had already been brought in. We quickly changed into our pajamas and climbed into bed. Edward pulled me into his arms and I felt my body relax. It took me awhile to fall asleep. Edward just held me and hummed to me all night. Once I fell asleep, I woke up screaming a few times. Eventually I passed out from pure exhaustion. Every time I saw him coming at me in my nightmares, Edward would stop him.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Short chapter, but there is a lot in there. **


	39. Chapter 39

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

I woke up at around seven the next morning. Edward was still asleep so I took a quick shower and went down to the dining room. Lauren and Jessica were already in there. They weren't eating, they were just staring at the table with fear written across their faces. I could tell they were still nervous and scared to go home. I went over and sat down across from them. I pulled my knees up to my chest.

"I'm sorry I can't be there for you when you get home," I said. "I know I promised I would but I can't go back yet."

"I just don't want everyone to hate me for what I did to you," whispered Lauren.

"They are going to be mad, Lauren. They, um, they don't understand how much the pain can fester. I'll admit, I'm still really fucking pissed off with you both. I just don't understand how you could you sit there for six years and not tell my parents that you knew who took me," I cried.

"We were scared," she said. "At first we thought that we were wrong, that maybe you did get lost. Then…we had no idea what he was doing to you."

"What did you think he was doing?" I asked, harshly. They both flinched back. "Six years he tortured me and you never once told anyone."

"I wish we could take it back," cried Jessica. "I wish we had told them."

"Yeah, me too," I muttered.

"Peter took us to that room," whispered Lauren. I snapped my eyes over to her. "He made us look at every place he hurt you, Bella. He told us everything."

"Yeah?" I asked. "Maybe he should have left the two of you in there for awhile."

"We would have deserved that and worse for what we did," sobbed Jessica. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't helping.

"I can't promise that I will ever be able to forgive either of you for not telling anyone that he had me but I don't blame you for him taking me. He, um, had been watching me for weeks before he took me. I never stood a chance against him. I wish you would have told someone that he took me but I know you were scared. Fear is really hard to overcome," I said as I let my tears fall. "When you get back, make it count. Push through it all and prove to me that you are going to fight. Prove to them that you are really sorry. Prove to yourselves that you deserve to live because you do."

"What if they stare at us?" whispered Jessica as she cried. "I don't want them to stare at us."

"When they stare at you, you take a deep breath and go to your happy place." I wiped my tears off. "You can do it."

"What if…my happy place doesn't want me anymore?" cried Jessica.

"He will. He loves you so much, Jess. He told me the day after you left that you are his life," I said. "Just let him love you."

"I'll try," she whispered.

"I'll try too," whispered Lauren through her tears. "I'll try."

"Girls?" said Peter, clearing his throat. We turned to see him, Charlotte and Garrett standing in the back of the room. "It's time to go."

"Ok," they muttered together. I stood up and pulled them into my arms and let my tears go again.

"Will you do me a favor?" I whispered.

"Yes," whispered Lauren.

"Tell everyone that we are ok. Tell them that I, um, am really sorry that I had to leave again. That I will come back."

"Ok, Bella. We'll tell them," whispered Jessica. "Just get better."

"I will," I sobbed. "I'm… really… proud of both of you."

"Thank…you," They choked out.

They pulled away from me. They wrapped their arms around each other and left with Peter and Charlotte. I fell to my knees and started sobbing. Garrett came over and pulled me into his arms and held me while our bodies shook as we cried together.

"It's not fair. I was finally happy. I was moving on. I knew when I woke that morning that something bad was going to happen. I just knew it. I had been fighting it for a few days. I try to shake it off. We went to the mall to hang out. I bought a fucking dress. I was excited because I was going to get to wear a dress again. We had lunch with Ben and Ang. We went home to hang around the house. Em went and got the mail. He had our letters from Dartmouth. I got in. and I thought I did it. You know, I was ok because I was moving on from the pain. Then E, Ali, Rosie, and J all said that they got in. I was so happy because we were going to be together. Em was scared to open his but I told to take the chance.

"His hands were shaking but he did it. He pulled out his letter and they let my Em in. I was going to have my brother with me too. We were all so happy. So we called our parents and told them to meet us at the coffee shop. I walked in and gave Renee our letters. She smiled and I could see how proud she was of us. She hugged us and told everyone that her babies did it. They were proud of us, too. Then Kate called and I started to tell her but she whispered my name. She sounded so broken. I asked her what was wrong and she said you needed me. She said they found you and hurt you and you needed me. I promised her I would help you. I promised to bring you home. I hung up and I told E and Em to go pack for us. I told Ali to get E and I plane tickets to Chicago. I called Judge Volturi. I told him that I needed to help you. He told me to take care of you. I hung up and told Rosie to get tickets for her, Ali, Em and J. Kate needed them. She can't lose you, Gar. Charlie said I couldn't go to you. I told him you need me. I have to go. E came back and we turned to leave. Charlie grabbed my arm. I said Dad, he gave me my life back. I have to help him. I tore my arm away from him. I left him. I hurt him but I had to help you. I had to do it. You're my brother. The only person who really gets it. I just wanted to help. All I have done it make it worse." I choked out through my sobs. "I just want the pain to stop. It's someone else turn. We spent our time in hell, Gar. I don't want to do it anymore."

"When I left you in Forks, it broke my heart. I love you so much. I finally had sister. I finally helped you. When I came back to the island, I struggled so much. I would sit in my office looking at the books you read. I cried all the time, honey. When Emmett called me and told me that you were shutting down, I knew that I was to. I let it go that day. I knew that you would be ok. I knew that I would be ok. I started working again. I lectured a lot. I felt like I was a whole person. Then they came back. I was so scared. I didn't want them to find Kate. I asked them to kill me. I don't want to do this again. When they hurt me again, I was so fucking pissed off. Kate and I were, um, thinking about trying to have another baby. You, um, gave us the strength to move on and let Christian go. When I woke up in the hospital, I cursed God that I was still alive. That doctor came in to my room and asked me how I was doing. I screamed at her, how the fuck do this I am doing. She said that….Kate would be there the next day. I told her to tell Kate that I didn't need her anymore. She doesn't deserve to have a weak, disgusting man. She is so beautiful and perfect. I am just a fucking piece of trash that nobody wants anymore," he cried.

"Baby, I will always want you," whispered Kate as she pulled Garrett into her arms. "You are so beautiful. I need you so much, baby. I can't live in a world with out you."

"I'm just going to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you anymore." cried Garrett.

"I am hurting no matter if you are with me or not, baby." Kate was sobbing as she spoke. "I want to kill them for breaking you. I want to hurt them for hurting you, Bella."

"I want to make them live through everything he did to you, love," whispered Edward he pulled me into his arms. "I wish it had been me and not you."

"I just want them to leave us alone," I cried.

"I know you do but the monsters are always going to be out there. Together we can beat them," said Edward. "That's what a family does."

"A family forever," whispered Emmett as he hugged us.

"We are not letting you go this time, Bella," said Jasper, joining us.

"We told Garrett this and now we are telling you, we are in this together," said Rose, placing her hand on my face.

"Do you promise?" I cried. "Do you promise not to leave us?"

"We promise," sobbed Alice. "We don't give up on family, honey, and we will be family forever."

"Forever together." I whispered. "Let's get started."

The eight of us went down to Kate's room. Garrett and I sat in the middle while they sat around us in a circle, protecting us. For the next couple hours, we worked on pushing past it all but every time we tried one of us would get pulled back into the pain. They all tried to help us calm down and relax but no matter how many times we tried they were right there hurting us over and over again. Finally, we decided to take a break. It was exhausting. I needed a little time alone so I went down and sat on the beach for awhile.

I was worried about how I was going ever going to let Edward in again. I wasn't afraid of him but my happy place had been corrupted. During all those years in the dark, I let Edward in because I knew he would never have to see the people that hurt me. He wouldn't have to sit there and listen to them laugh at me but this time he did. He had to stand there while that bastard laughed at my pain. He had to sit there watch me fall into the darkness again.

"So Dartmouth, huh?" asked Garrett, sitting next to me.

"Yeah," I said.

"You going to go?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"You should."

"I know," I muttered. "So a baby, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You going to try?" I asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, if we can get past this."

"You should. You are going to be a great dad," I murmured as I laid my head on his shoulder.

"You think so?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Yeah, you and Kate would be great parents," I said as I let a tear fall from my eye. "When you're ready."

"Thanks, honey," said Garrett. "What are you going to study at Dartmouth?"

"I don't know. I have been thinking about going to medical school. I could be done in three or four years," I sighed. "Or maybe I will become Batgirl."

"Batgirl?" chuckled Garrett. "You are more like super woman."

"You just want to see me in those little red shorts she wears," I scoffed.

"You know it," he chuckled. "You would be a good doctor."

"You think so? I worry that people will be put off by the scars. I worry that I won't be able to handle the traumatic part of being a doctor."

"You can always come work with me."

"You just want me to make you my brownies," I laughed.

"Yes, I do but I was serious. I think you could really help the people who come here."

"How?" I asked. "How can I help them when I can't even help myself?"

"You can help yourself, honey. You just had a set back."

"So did you," I whispered.

"I know."

"I'll think about working here," I muttered.

"Good girl," he whispered. "Let's go get some lunch."

"Ok."

Garrett and I slowly stood up and walked back into the dinning hall. We walked in and found Tia throwing a fucking tantrum in the middle of the room. Fucking bitch was really fucking getting on my fucking nerves. Everyone was standing against the wall while Benjamin was trying to get her to calm down but she was waving a knife at him. She went to swipe it at him and I decided it was time to get the bitch to stop.

"TIA, PUT THE FUCKING KNIFE DOWN."

**Thank you for all the reviews. This chapter turned me into quite the emotional mess. Please take a moment to let me know what you thought.**


	40. Chapter 40

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"NO, YOU STUPID LITTLE BITCH. I WANT IT TO END. I DON'T WANT IT TO HURT ANYMORE~" she screamed.

"IT SUCKS, DOESN'T IT? THE PAIN JUST KEEPS GOING. IT NEVER STOPS. IT NEVER GOES AWAY UNTIL YOU DECIDE TO LET IT GO."

I was circling around Tia while everyone else was plastered to the walls around us. I don't know why but I knew I needed to her. She was angry and scared. She was me just a few months ago. Maybe she was me now.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW? YOU DON'T KNOW MY PAIN. YOU MADE UP SOME FUCKING SOB STORY TO TRY TO MAKE MY PAIN LESS. NOBODY COULD LIVE THROUGH THAT!" she screamed. I pulled off my shirt and threw it at her.

"DOES THIS FUCKING LOOK MADE UP? DO YOU SEE WHERE HE FUCKING BURNED ME JUST TO MAKE ME CRY? DO YOU SEE THE FUCKING WHIP MARKS THAT HE GAVE ME FOR TALKING IN MY SLEEP? DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE SCARS ON MY FUCKING BREAST? DON'T EVER FUCKING CALL ME A LIAR!" I screamed.

"I…I…" she whispered as she fell to her knees. I walked over to her and pulled on my shirt. I knelt down next to her. I threw the knife in an empty corner of the room.

"I never meant to make you think that your pain wasn't real, honey. Make the choice to let it go. It's not worth it. Don't let whoever hurt you win, honey."

"I don't know how," she whispered as she sobbed. "Every time I close my eyes, he is right there. He won't let me go."

"Tell me, Tia," I whispered as I pulled her into my arms. "Just talk to me, honey."

"Two weeks ago, I was out running. I liked to run. It used to make me feel so free. I was running past these bushes when he pulled me in. He wrapped his hands around my neck until I passed out. When I woke up, I was laying on this bed. I was naked. It was so cold and so dark. Suddenly, the door opened and he came in. He laughed as he came over and started touching me. I tried not to look at his face. I thought if I didn't see him, it wasn't real. He climbed on me and raped me over and over and over. It hurt so bad. I wanted to die. When he was done, he tied me up and blindfolded me. He put a cloth in my mouth and threw me in the backseat of his car. We drove around for what felt like hours before the car stopped. He dragged me out and threw me down on the ground. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, 'Now everyone will know that you are a whore.' I knew who it was. I knew his voice. I tried to scream but I couldn't. He left me on the steps of my high school. When the kids in my school saw me laying naked, bruised, and bleeding, they laughed at me. They called me whore and said that I must like it rough. Finally, my basketball coach came running up to me. He threw his coat over my naked body. He called the police and an ambulance. He told all the kids to get the fuck away from me. When the police got there I couldn't tell them who it was. I was so scared that he would hurt me again. They took me to the hospital and treated my cuts. When I got home, he was there. I saw the shame in my father's eyes. The shame in my mother's eyes. I walked into the kitchen and pulled out a knife and stabbed myself. I couldn't handle the looks in their eyes. They rushed me to the hospital and left me there. They said I wasn't their concern anymore. I had disgraced their family name. I spent two weeks in the hospital. Benjamin came and brought me here," she whispered.

"Who was it, honey?" I whispered. "Who hurt you?"

"My brother, Amun," she cried.

"Tia, you have to tell the police that he hurt you," I murmured. "You have to tell them all how they hurt you. It's the only way you can heal. It's the only way to fight back, honey"

"I can't face them alone," she cried.

"You won't," said Benjamin, pulling Tia from my arms and into his. She melted into his arms with a soft sigh. "I will never leave you."

"Do you promise?" she whispered.

"I promise," he whispered as a tear fell from his eye.

He mouthed a thank you to me and carried her out of the room. I looked up at Garrett who had tears pouring down his face. I knew right then where I was supposed to be.

"I'll come work with you," I cried. "I'll fucking come work with you."

"You did real good there, honey," he smiled. "Real good."

"Thanks," I muttered as I stood up. "Now let's eat. I'm fucking starving."

"Bella," chuckled Garrett, looking at me with pathetic look on his face. "Please make me some fucking brownies."

"Fine," I chuckled. "Just stop fucking whining."

"It's not fair," pouted Emmett.

"What's not fair?" I asked.

"You never make me fucking brownies," he huffed

"Stop being a baby, Em. I will make everyone some fucking brownies," I laughed.

"YES!" they all squealed.

"You all are such fucking dorks," I chuckled as I made my plate.

"But we are your fucking dorks," teased Alice.

"That you are, Ali," I smiled. "Always."

"So what did you mean about coming to work with Garrett?" asked Emmett.

"After I finish medical school, I am going to come back and work with him here." I explained. "It's a chance for me to help someone else."

"The offer goes to you all," said Garrett. "Anytime, you want."

"We'll think about it," said Alice.

We all settled down at the table and started picking at our food. Edward was sitting next to me, with his arm resting on the back of my chair. Every once in a while he would bring his hand up and place it on the nape of my neck. Every time I looked at him, he would smile and wink at me. God, how I loved that man. He had been so supportive of me and everything I've been through.

"So I don't want to be the one to bring them up but our parents have been calling…a lot." muttered Rose.

"I know," I said. "They are mad at me for making you leave. They blame me for putting myself in that place."

"No they don't." scoffed Emmett.

"Yes, they do, Em." said Edward. "I talked to Charlie and Renee on the plane ride here. They said B was reckless. They said she had no business trying to help Garrett. They said she should have thought about what she was doing when she took him to the police station. They said she should have know better than to put herself in that kind of danger."

"GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH!" shouted Emmett. "HOW CAN THEY BE SO FUCKING STUPID?"

"Em, calm down," I chuckled. "You are going to pop a vein."

"B, how can you laugh at this?" asked Rose.

"Rosie, I'm not but they don't get it. I had to go. I think that they feel like they failed me when they couldn't help me but Garrett and Kate could. It's hard for them because they don't really understand how much pain we were in. Just like how when we were babies. When you take one of us away, we all cry. It's the same thing with Garrett and Kate now. If you hurt one of us, you hurt us all."

"What do you mean when you were babies?" asked Kate.

"You know how the six of us were born on the same day?" I asked.

"Yes."

"When we were born, they used to tell us how when we were in the hospital nursery, if they took one of us away from the others, the other five would start crying. We won't stop until they brought us back."

"Even when we got home, they would have to bring the six of us to one house almost every night for weeks," said Alice. "By the time we were a year old, we were having sleepovers at each others house every weekend, just so we wouldn't cry anymore."

"Really? I think that explains why it was so hard on everyone when you were kidnapped," said Kate.

"What do you mean?" asked Garrett.

"It's obvious that the six of you share an incredible bond with each other. I think that you have a connection with each other. It's like when one twin knows when the other is sick or hurt, they feel it. It's like that for the six of you," explained Kate.

"No, I think it's like that for the eight of us," I said.

"Why?" asked Kate.

"I had this feeling for three days before you called that something bad was going to happen. No matter what I did, I couldn't shake it off. I think that you, Garrett and I have a connection that works the way the one with the six of us does. I think the fact that all three of us have lived through years of hell and survived, pulled us together. I think that is why I was able to trust you so easy when I first came here."

"When you were gone all those years, sometimes it felt like I could feel what he was doing to you," whispered Alice. Everyone looked over at her. She was staring down at her plate but I could tell she had tears in her eyes.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" I asked.

"I thought you might think I was crazy." She reached up and wiped the tear off her face.

"Me?" I asked, as Jasper slipped his arm around her. "I don't think you are crazy, Ali. Did you ever tell Carlisle or Esme?"

"No, I was scared to tell them," she whispered. She leaned her head on Jasper's shoulder.

"You should tell them," I murmured.

"I used to wake up in the middle of the night feeling like someone was laying on top of me. The first few times, I would scream out for help. When Will or Cat would come in, they would just roll their eyes and tell me that I was just dreaming," said Rose. She had her knees pulled up. "It got to the point where when I would wake up feeling like that, I would stifle my scream so I wouldn't bother them. I would spend hours every night, crying into my pillow. Em and I used to spend hours talking in the phone just so I didn't have to sleep and get that feeling again."

"Did you ever tell them that they hurt you, Rose?" asked Garrett.

"No, they have been more concerned with how we look to everyone. When B came home the first time, they tried to tell us that we couldn't be her friend anymore. J and I both told them to fuck off but when you had to come to here, they laughed when we got home and said they told us so. I hate them so much," cried Rose. Emmett had moved over and was holding her in his arms.

"Oh," I whispered as I felt a tear fall from my eye. "I'm sorry that I caused problems between you and them."

"Bella, you are not the problem," said Garrett. "They are letting their fear control them"

"They were like another set of parents for me when we were little. How can they think I would ever hurt my Rosie or my J?" I cried.

"They were scared, honey. They don't know how to deal with their feelings. They don't understand how much you effect them all," said Garrett as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Rosie, J, you have to tell them," I muttered. "You have to tell them how they hurt you."

"If we do that, they will kick us out. We don't have anywhere to go," cried Rose.

"Yes, you do, sister. You and J are always welcome with me and Em," I cried. " Sister's forever, remember?"

"And ever," whispered Alice through her tears.

"And ever," whispered Kate.

"And ever," Rose whispered. " And ever."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Another emotional chapter but they are making huge progress. **


	41. Chapter 41

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

The eight of us spent five more days on the island together after I made everyone some fucking brownies. I swear you would think that they were fucking crack or something the way they inhaled them. Garrett was finally healed from his injuries enough to start sparing with us again. He was a jumpy the first few times Emmett, Edward or Jasper came at him but eventually he learned to channel it into something else. We mostly fought each other. It was how we were working out all the anger we felt building up inside. Garrett took me down roughly a few times. He broke down and cried when he thought he hurt me but I told him I was fine and I was fine for the most part. We worked a lot on pushing the pain and hurt away. Garrett and I spent a lot of time working with just each other. The others realized that we needed to work through this alone. Garrett and I shared an even bigger bond now than we had before.

Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Edward and I also tried to spend some time on our school work. We didn't want to get to behind. I had called Eleazar once we got to the island and he faxed over all of our assignments. It was hard focusing on doing the work but we had to. It is all part of living our life as normally as we could. Judge Volturi called us after we had been on the island for six days. He said that Garrett and I needed to come to Arizona and talk to the district attorney handling my case. After throwing a bit of a fit, I agreed. The next day the eight of us said goodbye to the safety of Brazil and flew to Arizona. I was worried about Charlie and Renee being there when we got there but I also knew that I was going to have to face them sooner or later.

Once we landed in Phoenix, Garrett and I headed down to the court house while the others went and checked us into a hotel. The cab ride to the court house felt like it took forever. I could feel my body shake as we got close. Garrett tried to get me to calm down but he was just as scared and nervous as I was. It was one thing to face the demons that were dead, it's another thing to face the ones that were alive. The ones who have proven that they honestly don't care if they hurt you or not. Before I knew it we had pulled up in front of the court house. Garrett and I went inside and made our way down to the office of Siobhan Stefan. We checked in with her secretary, who stared at me for a little too long, and took our seats to wait. A few minutes later, we were called back to a large conference room. We walked in and found a tall, red headed woman waiting for us with another man.

"Miss Swan, Mr. Mitchell, thank you for coming. I'm Siobhan Stefan and this is Charles Randall. We are the attorneys prosecuting your case against Alec Mitchell."

"It's nice to meet you. Please call me Bella, Miss Stefan," I sad as I shook her hand.

"Please call me Siobhan. If you would like to take a seat we can get started," she said. Garrett and I took our seats. I had to fight the urge to pull my knees up to my chest. "I'm sorry that you have to deal with this right now, Bella. I know that you have had a long several months."

"I don't mean to sound rude but lets just get done. I don't feel comfortable being here. I am trying really hard to deal with that. Just asked me what you need to so I can go," I said a tad bit harshly. Garrett reached over and rubbed my back. "I'm sorry. It's just really hard for me to deal with sometimes."

"I'm sorry. I need you to tell me about the day that he raped you," said Siobhan.

"I was laying naked tied to that table again..." As I told Siobhan and Charles about the day that Alec raped me, Garrett had his hand on my back, trying his hardest to keep me calm. I could feel his hand shaking, though, and I knew that he was struggling just as much as I was.

"Bella, what do you mean that you were tied to the table again?" asked Siobhan.

"What do know of my life for the last six years?" I asked.

"Nothing. All I know is that you are accusing Alec Mitchell of raping you nine months ago. That wasn't the first time you had been raped, was it?" she asked.

"No, it wasn't," I said softly.

"Bella, you have to tell her," whispered Garrett.

"I can't," I cried. "She is going to think I asked for it."

"No, she won't. She is trying to help, honey. You can do it," whispered Garrett.

"Mr. Mitchell, what exactly is your relationship with Bella?" asked Siobhan.

"Call me Garrett. I am her life coach and best friend," said Garrett, grabbing my hand.

"I don't understand. Why did she need a life coach?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and told her my story. As I went through each detail for her, Siobhan's eyes widened her mouth dropped open. Charles was gripping his pen tightly in his hand so tight that his knuckles had turned white and I was expecting him to break it. I wiped the tears off my face as I finished my story.

"Oh." whispered Siobhan. "When did he let you go?"

"He didn't. He was killed by the police the night before I was found locked in that room. When the police were searching his house, they found me locked in the cellar. I refused to speak to them. One of the officer's reached out and grabbed my hand. I attacked him while I was screaming for him not to touch me. He had to restrain me until I passed out. I woke up two days later in the hospital. That was eight months ago," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.

"I see," she whispered. "Garrett, how did you met Bella?"

"After Judge Volturi agreed to let Bella go back to Forks with her family, he contacted me. He asked me if I would keep an eye on her. I run a resort in Brazil, where I work with people who have been through some of the same trauma that Bella has. After she tried to kill herself, I took her to Brazil. She spent three months working through the pain and guilt she felt. She had only been home for six weeks when she flew to Chicago to help me," he whispered.

"What do you mean? Why did she need to help you?" asked Siobhan.

"Do you not know why my parents were in jail in Chicago in the first place?" he snapped.

"Garrett, calm down," I whispered, squeezing his hand.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"No, I don't. I'm sorry, I haven't gotten the file from Chicago yet," said Siobhan. "I was just given this case a couple days ago and told we needed to push it to the top."

"They, as well as fifteen other men, beat me until I was unconscious. When I came to, they had me tied to the table that they used the night I ran away from them when I was twelve. They took turns raping me, and beating on me. She was fixing to kill me when the police came in and stopped them," Garrett whispered as he cried. I wrapped my arms around him.

"They did that to you when you were twelve?" asked Siobhan.

"Yes, as well to my brother, who was eight at the time," said Garrett. "They started abusing me when I turned three."

"I need to speak to your brother," she said, softly.

"You can't," muttered Garrett. "He killed himself four years ago."

"Oh," she said. "I think we are done here. Bella, are you sure you can handle going through a trial?"

"No, I'm not but I have to. It's the only way I can move through the pain," I said, looking away from her.

"Ok, the trial should start in two weeks," said Siobhan standing up. "I wish that there was an easier way for this to happen but there's not. Take care of each other."

"Thank you," I whispered. "We will.".

Garrett and I left her office. We were fixing to leave the building when we were given a note. It was from Judge Volturi, asking if Garrett and I would stop by his office before we left. We both just sighed and went down to his office. The last time I had walked down this hall, I was afraid of my own shadow. While I felt stronger and safer than I did the last time, I still couldn't stop my body from shaking. Garrett wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I felt him shaking with me. At least I wasn't alone, this time. We walked up to the door and Garrett knocked lightly.

"Come in," said the deep voice from behind the door. We pushed the door open and found ourselves face to face with Judge Volturi. He was an older man, probably near forty. He had dark black hair and black eyes. He gave us a gentle smile when saw us. "Garrett, Bella, please come in. It's nice to see that you are ok."

"Thank you, sir," I whispered as I pulled Garrett into the room.

"Garrett, are you doing ok?" asked Judge Volturi.

"No," he muttered. "I will be."

"Good. Please have a seat."

"Thank you," I said as I sat down. Garrett sat next to me., placing his arm on the back of my seat. "What can we do for you, Judge Volturi?"

"Please call me Aro. I just needed to see for myself that you both were ok," said Aro. "I have been very worried about both of you ever since I received the phone call from Mr. Cullen."

"We are doing ok. It's really hard to have to deal with all the hurt and pain again. I'm fucking pissed off and I don't like feeling like this again." I pulled my knees to my chest. "I don't get why men like that or like the man who held me, enjoy hurting kids. We were babies. We didn't deserve to be broken the way we were."

"Bella, what do you know about the man who took you?" asked Aro.

"Just that he was killed by the police the night before I was found. He was an ex-baseball player. After he saw me at a baseball game, he became obsessed with me. Seven weeks later, he took me."

"His name was Phil Dwyer. He was an over the hill ball player, you're right, but he also was one of the key players in a sex slave ring. He kidnapped over twenty young girls and sold them into slavery all over the world. When he kidnapped you, he dropped off the radar. The FBI couldn't seem to find him. It would seem that he kept you for himself."

"What happened to the other girls?" I asked.

"We don't know. They haven't been seen since," said Aro.

"Where did he find the men he brought in to rape me?" I whispered through my tears.

"Some of them, like Alec Mitchell, were part of a cult that found pleasure in young children. Bella, the FBI has found at least twenty of the men he brought in to you," explained Aro.

"How?" I cried.

"The police found hundreds of video tapes of the attacks on you, dear," said Aro.

"You mean the p…police…s..s…saw what he…m…made me do?" I whispered through my tears. I could feel my body begin to shake violently.

"Bella, calm down, honey," whispered Garrett. He knelt in front of me and put his hands on my face. "Deep breaths, honey. Deep breaths."

"They saw…Garrett…They watched them rape…me," I sobbed. "They saw…him…make…me a…whore."

"I know, honey. I know," he whispered as he cried with me. "You need to calm down, though."

"What is …going…to happen to …them now?" I whispered. "What is going to happen to the men?"

"Most of them have plead guilty. They are serving life sentences in a federal prison here in Arizona. Five others are pleading not guilty," said Aro.

"I want to see them. I want to speak to all of them," I said.

"Bella, I don't think that is a good idea," said Aro, shaking his head.

"She needs to, Aro. She needs to confront them," explained Garrett through his tears. "It's how she will heal from this."

"Ok, if you are sure," he said. "I will make the arrangement for tomorrow, if that is ok with you."

"Thank you, Aro," I cried. "I need to go now. I can't…"

"Ok, my dear. Let me know if I can do anything for you," he frowned.

"I will," I whispered.

Garrett and I made our way out of the court house. We took a cab down to the hotel. I let my tears fall down my face the entire time. Garrett just wrapped his arm around me and let me cry as he took me upstairs to where the others were waiting for us. As soon as the door opened., I fell into Edward's arms and started sobbing. When was the pain going to end?

"B, what's wrong?" asked Edward.

"I…can't…Garrett…please," I choked out through my tears.

"Ok, honey. I'll tell them," he whispered through his own tears. "After our meeting with the district attorney, we went to meet with Judge Volturi. It turns out that the man who had Bella was part of a sex slave ring. When he took Bella, he decided to keep her for himself. Sometime, while he had her, he got involved in a cult, the same cult that my parents were part of. He let those men raped her, while he video taped it. Aro told us that the police found hundreds of videos of attacks on Bella. He said the FBI has arrested twenty of the men from the tapes. She…"

"It's ok, baby." whispered Kate, holding Garrett as he broke down with me

"The police know…how he let them…rape me," I cried. "They watched the…tapes. I feel so violated again."

"It's going to be ok, love," whispered Edward as he cried. "It's going to be ok."

"What happened to the fucking men who hurt you?" growled Emmett through his tears.

"Most of them have pleaded guilty. They are serving life sentences in a federal prison here in Arizona. Five of the men have pleaded not guilty. Aro is arranging for Bella and I to see them tomorrow," said Garrett.

"B, no, you don't need to see them," whispered Alice.

"Yes, I do, Ali. I…I have…to…tell…how much they…hurt me," I whispered. "I need you to call…our parents. They need to go…with us. We all have to tell them. We have to tell them how they broke us. Please, Ali."

"Ok, B. I'll call them now," whispered Alice. She hugged me and left the room.

"B…" cried Emmett. I pulled out of Edward's arms and wrapped my arms around Emmett.

"I know, Em," I cried. "I'm scared, too, but we have to do it."

"I know," he cried.

Emmett and I sat on the floor of the hotel room for several minutes just crying together. Crying with everyone else. He was my big brother and had done nothing but try to protect me since the day I woke up in the hospital all those months ago. Now, he was going to have to face the men who took bits and pieces away from me, away from us. This was going to the hardest thing we ever did.

A few minutes later, Alice came back in. "They will be here tonight."

"Thanks, Ali," I whispered as I wiped my face clean. "I need some time alone with E. We will be back later."

Edward pulled me into his arms and led me out of the hotel. We made our way down to a park that was a few blocks from the hotel. We sat down on a bench and I pulled my knees up to my chest. I laid my head on Edward's chest.

"It's never going to end, is it?" I asked. "No matter what I do, they are always out there."

"I know but you can't give up, B. You have to keep fighting," said Edward.

"I know and I'm trying," I muttered. "I realize now that no matter what I do, I will always have to face the fear. It's just a part of my life but I can't let the fear stop me from living. That's why I need to see them tomorrow."

"I'm really proud of you, love," he said. "It would be easier to shut down and give up but you're not doing that. You and Garrett need each other and I know that. I think in a lot of ways, Kate and I need each other. We are dealing with our own pain of not being able to protect you both."

"Thank you, Edward, for giving me the time I need with Garrett. He is my best friend. He understands what I feel more than anyone else. Kate understands a little, but Garrett and I lived in hell for a really long time."

"I'm glad you have him, B. He needs you to keep him strong right now, too. Kate and I are here for you both. Never forget that."

"I won't. I love you, E,"I whispered.

"I love you, B, forever," he whispered.

Edward and I spent a couple hour at the park. We talked a little but we mostly just held each other and cried through our pain. The road had made a crazy turn and we were barely hanging on. Eventually, we got up and went back to the hotel. We joined the others for dinner in the hotel restaurant but none of us were very hungry. We were sitting in mine and Edward's room when there was a knock on the door. Alice gave me a soft smile and went to open the door. Standing in the doorway, not looking to happy, were our parents. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for fight I knew I was just starting.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know the chapters just keep getting harder, don't they? This was another emotional chapter for me, even just rereading it brought tears to my eyes. Bella kind of thought that she was in a bubble where only a few people really knew everything. Now, she's learned that that's not the case. Coming up: Dealing with the parents.**


	42. Chapter 42

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"Come on in," I said. They all came stomping in to the room, looking pissed off. "I know you are not happy that we left but Garrett needed me and Kate needed them."

"Bella, Garrett is a grown man. He could take care of himself," snapped Charlie. I fought against the urge to flinch. I had never heard my father speak with so much anger.

"Dad, he needed me to help him before he lost himself in the pain," I explained, trying to stay calm.

"You were in no position to be helping anyone, Isabella," snapped Renee.

"Mom, I was the only person who could help him," I said, firmly.

"Look, what helping him did. He hurt you," she snapped.

"HE DID NOT HURT ME!" I screamed. "GARRETT NEEDED TO CONFRONT THEM. HE NEEDED ME TO HELP HIM. HE WAS HURTING. THAT'S WHAT FAMILY DOES."

"HE IS NOT YOUR FAMILY, ISABELLA!" bellowed Charlie.

"HE IS MY BROTHER!" I screamed.

"NO, HE ISN'T. ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS THE FUCKING MONEY!" screamed Renee.

"No, I don't. I don't need a fucking cent from you," snapped Garrett. "If Bella hadn't come to me that day I would be dead. You have no idea what she and I have been through."

"We all know how yourmom and dad beat you. You are a grown man who could take care of himself. You dragged her to face a man who had hurt her," snapped Carlisle.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND SIT DOWN!" I screamed. They all just stared at me. "FUCKING SIT DOWN.!

"Sit down, Mom," said Emmett, harshly. "Dad, sit down and listen."

"Fine," they snapped. Will, Cat, Carlisle, Esme, Charlie and Renee all huffed and sat down on the bed. I turned and knelt down in front of Garrett, who was on his knees crying. I pulled his hands into mine.

"Gar, you have to tell them. You have to tell to them everything they did to you. You have to tell them about Laurent," I whispered.

"I can't," he whispered.

"Yes, you can, honey," I whispered. "I'm not giving up on you. I am not letting go of you."

"Promise?" he whispered.

"I promise," I whispered. I pulled him into my arms and held him while he let it all out.

"When I met with you in Forks about taking Bella to Brazil," started Garrett. "You asked me if I knew what Bella was feeling. I told you that she and I had more in common then you would ever know. I wasn't lucky enough to have parents like you…"

As Garrett sat there on the floor and told our parents about what his scum of the earth parents had done to him and Laurent, I held him in my arms and watched their faces. With each word that he spoke, with each horror that he reveled, their expressions softened. For everyone but William and Catherine that is. They sat there on the bed with hateful expressions on their faces. Honestly, I wasn't sure how to take that.

"I never meant for Bella to get hurt again," said Garrett, "but I would not have been able to…" Garrett trailed off as he shook his head. "I couldn't have gotten through this again without her. She made me face it head on and made me realize that I was stronger than I thought I was."

"I know that I hurt you when I left," I said. "I am sorry about that but you hurt me when you tried to stop me from helping Garrett."

"We didn't mean to hurt you, Bella. We just don't want to see you get hurt again," sighed Carlisle.

"I know that but it doesn't matter if you want me to get hurt or not. I am always going to hurt. I am going to testify against Alec in a couple weeks," I whispered.

"Baby, you can't do that," gasped Renee.

"I have to. It's the only way for me to make sure that he can't hurt anyone the way he did me or Garrett," I said, clearing my throat. "There's more that I have to tell you."

"You can do it, honey. We can do it together," whispered Garrett.

"This morning after Garrett and I met with the district attorney handing the case, Judge Volturi asked if we would stop by his office. He told me that the man who had taken me, was involved in a sex slave ring. He said that when he took me, he dropped off the FBI's radar. He said that he had kidnapped at least twenty girls before me that have never been seen again. He said he…" I trailed off as my tears continued to fall.

"He said the FBI had found hundreds of tapes in the house when they found Bella. The tapes showed Bella getting raped by the men he brought in. The FBI have arrested twenty men so far. All but five of them have pleaded guilty and are now serving life sentences. The other five men have plead not guilty," said Garrett.

"Tomorrow, we are going to go see all of them," I muttered.

"No," cried Renee. "I can't let you do that."

"I have to, Renee. I have to tell them how much they hurt me. You have to tell them how much they hurt you. You all have to tell them," I cried.

"I can't look at them, baby. I can't see the men that hurt you," cried Charlie, running his hands through his hair. "I'll kill them. I'll kill them all."

"You have to, Charlie. You have to do it for all the daddies who never got to see their little girls again," I sobbed. "Please, Daddy?"

"Ok, baby, we'll go," cried Charlie. "We'll tell them."

"Carlisle? Esme?" I whispered. "Please?"

"Ok, sweetheart," cried Carlisle. "We'll go."

"We'll be strong for you," cried Esme.

"Mom, Dad?" asked Rose.

"We aren't going," said Cat. "You and Jasper aren't either."

"Yes, we are," said Jasper, through his tears. "We won't let you hurt us anymore."

"You don't get to hurt us anymore," said Rose as she cried, wrapping her arms around her body. I moved over and held her.

"Tell them, Rosie," I whispered. "Tell them how they made you cry at night. You can do it."

"We never made her cry at night," snapped Will.

"Yes, you did," said Emmett as a tear fell from his eye. He wiped it away furiously. "She used to call me crying for hours because of what you said to her."

"Tell them, Rosie," I whispered, tightening my arms around her. "I've got you. Tell them."

"After B was taken, I used to wake up in the night feeling like someone was laying on top of me. When I would scream and cry, you would roll your eyes and tell me it was just a stupid dream. It got to the point that I would scream into my pillow or talk to Em all night on the phone so I didn't have to sleep. You didn't care how I felt. You never listened when I tried to tell you how much I was hurting," whispered Rose through her tears.

"They were just dreams, Rosalie. They weren't real," snapped Cat.

"THEY WERE REAL TO ME!" screamed Rose. "I NEEDED YOU TO HELP ME AND YOU JUST IGNORED ME!"

"We have done nothing but support you all," snapped Will.

"No, you didn't, Dad. When B came home the first time, you told me and Rosie that we couldn't be her friend anymore," snapped Jasper. "You told us that she was too dangerous. Mom said that people would fucking stare at us and think we were freaks because of her."

"That is not what we said," snapped Will.

"YES, YOU FUCKING DID!" shouted Jasper, standing up. Alice sprang to her feet and wrapped her arms around him, trying to calm him down. "SHE IS MY SISTER. SHE NEEDS US TO HELP HER AND YOU BOTH TOLD US SHE WASN'T FUCKING WORTH IT!"

"How dare you try to take them away from Bella," snapped Renee. "After everything she went through to get back to us."

"She was going to hurt them. I could see her breaking the minute she came in the door. She was going to drag Rose and Jasper down to hell with her," seethed Cat.

"WE WERE ALREADY IN HELL, MOTHER!" screamed Rose, who was shaking with rage.

"Rose, calm down, honey," whispered Garrett, pulling her from my arms and into his own. "Take a nice deep breath. Good girl."

"How could you tell them not to help Bella?" asked Esme. "She needed them. They needed her."

"All she has ever done is cause trouble. Even when they were little, she was the one who lead them into trouble," snapped Cat.

"How?" snapped Charlie, standing up.

"How about the time that she told them to skip school so they could go watch some stupid movie?" snapped Cat.

"That wasn't B. That was me," said Emmett. "She took the blame so I wouldn't get in trouble."

"Fine, how about when she stole that shirt from the mall?" snapped Will.

"That was me. She said she stole it so I wouldn't get grounded," cried Rose. "She always took care of us."

"How about when she got into a fight with Mike Newton?" snapped Cat.

"That was me. I did it because he pulled Ali's hair and called her a midget. I pulled on his ear and made him apologize for hurting her feelings." I stood up and faced her. "I would do it again because nobody picks on my Ali."

"All B had ever done is try to protect us all. It's time that we protect her," said Edward.

"No. Rosalie, Jasper, let's go," snapped Cat, standing up.

"No, Mother," said Rose.

"Now, Rosalie Hale," snapped Will.

"No," said Jasper. "We are staying with our family."

"We are your family. Not those two freaks," snapped Cat. Fucking bitch.

"WE ARE NOT FREAKS!" I screamed. "YOU ARE SUCH A FUCKING BITCH. I LOVED YOU. YOU WERE LIKE A MOTHER TO ME!"

"That was before you got yourself taken by that man," snapped Cat. I lunged for her fucking head as everyone in the room gasped. Garrett jumped out and caught me as I let my rage go.

"LET MYSELF GET TAKEN? HOW WAS I FUCKING SUPPOSED TO STOP THE FUCKING BASTARD? I WAS A FUCKING BABY!" I screamed as I fought against Garrett. "FUCKING LET ME GO!"

"STOP BELLA. YOU CAN'T HURT THEM!" shouted Garrett.

"YES, I CAN. FUCKING LET ME GO!" I screamed.

"Love, stop," whispered Edward as he pulled me into his arms. I fell into his arms and started crying. I looked over at Will and Cat.

"Get the fuck out of here. Leave my Rosie and my J alone because they aren't yours anymore. They're mine," I cried.

"You can't keep them from us," said Cat.

"She said to leave our Rose and our Jasper alone. Now go," snapped Renee, pushing her toward the door. "Don't ever come near us again."

"Go now," growled Charlie.

"No-"

"LEAVE NOW!" screamed Esme.

"But-"

"NOW!" shouted Carlisle. "YOU DON'T GET THEM BACK. THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN NOW!"

"FINE! YOU CAN HAVE THE STUPID BITCH AND THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" screamed Cat.

She pulled on Will and they both ran out of the room. I fell to my knees and started sobbing. I had lost them. I knew that I could never get them back. That bastard had filled them with fear and hate. They couldn't work past their feelings. They let it consume them to the point that they lashed out at us all. They lost their children because of their hate.

"I'm sorry, Rosie, J. I didn't want them to let you go," I cried. "I just wanted to help. I just wanted to help."

"Shh, honey, it's not your fault," whispered Garrett. "None of this is your fault."

"YES, IT IS. I RUIN EVERYTHING I TOUCH. NOW THEY LEFT THEM. THEY HURT THEM. ALL BECAUSE I WASN'T STRONG ENOUGTH TO FIGHT HIM OFF. I AM WEAK. I HATE HIM. I WISH I COULD FUCKING KILL HIM!" I screamed.

I pulled out of their arms and ran from the room.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So, now we know how Will and Cat feel. Are you surprised at how it went down?**


	43. Chapter 43

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic.**

I took off running out of the room, leaving everyone yelling at me to stop. My entire body was shaking, full of anger, rage, and hurt. I ran down the stairs and out of the hotel all while my tears fell down my face. I had lost them and there was no way of ever getting them back.

When I was little, I never thought my life would end up like this. Who would? This shit didn't happen to people like me. This was the shit that happened to other people. The little girl that goes missing and is never heard from again. It wasn't supposed to be me. As a child, I thought that my little bubble would never be able to be broken. Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Edward, and I were unstoppable, unbreakable, impenetrable. Or so we thought. They loved me for who I was. They accepted me for who I was. Not a one of them made me feel guilty for being smart. They never called me a nerd like other kids did when I was being given algebra in the second grade or when I was given twice the amount of homework. I never minded the work, either. I craved knowledge and looked forward to learning new things everyday.

Then one day I became that girl. The lost girl whose picture was flashed across the screen all across the world but nobody ever saw me and I was forgotten by everyone but my family. My true family. They never gave up on the hope that one day, I would return to them. That one day, I would be found. Of course nobody expected me to have gone through hell on earth. Nobody wants to hear about how the monsters are real. We tell children that they don't exist but they do. They are around us all the time. Only they look like everyday people. How were we supposed to know that a trip to a minor league baseball game would end my life?

It did end my life. At least the life that I knew. My life, as well as the life of my family was taken from me that night. We just didn't know it yet. As the sun started to rise over the city, I found myself sitting in the same park that Edward and I had visited just the day before. The warmth rose and wrapped around me but I didn't feel it. All I felt was the cold, the bitterness from the hole that was in my soul now.

"I had a feeling you would come here," said Edward. I looked over as he sat down next to me. "Do you know how fucking scared everyone is? You just left."

"I know," I muttered.

"You can't do that, B," he muttered, shaking his head. "If we lost you again…it would kill us all."

"I know," I cried.

"It's going to be ok," he said, pulling me into his arms. "We are not letting you go."

"I never thought they would be the ones to hurt us like that," I cried. "They were our parents, too."

"They were but…" he trailed off as he shook his head. "When you were taken, B, things changed."

"But Esme and Carlisle didn't abandoned us," I muttered. "Neither did Charlie or Renee."

"You're right, they didn't," murmured Edward. "But Will and Cat have and we have to accept it and move on. Besides, we don't need them. We have Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, and Renee. We will be ok."

"You really think so?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I know so," he smiled. "See, a really beautiful woman once that as long as we stuck together, we could do anything. I think she just needs to be reminded of that."

"Maybe I do," I sighed, laying my head on his shoulder. "How do you always know just what I need to hear?"

"It's cause I love you," he said, chuckling.

"I love you, too," I murmured. "Guess we should get back so I can face the others, huh?"

"Yep," he sighed, standing up. He pulled me to my feet. "But I'll keep you safe."

"Promise?" I asked.

"I promise," he smiled. "Forever, remember?"

"I remember," I murmured. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist as we headed back to the hotel.

It was in this moment that I realized that, while it hurt to lose Will and Cat, we would be ok. Our family would rally together, stronger than ever, and push past all of this and be ok. I could do all of this because my family gave me the strength to fight back, even when that meant fighting against them. I could do this for Charlie and Renee, who never gave up hope that one day their daughter, their baby girl, would be returned to them. I could do this for Carlisle and Esme, who loved me, Emmett, Rose, and Jasper like we were theirs. Who were willing to make the tough decisions when it came to helping me heal. To helping all of us heal.

I could do this for Rose and Jasper, whose parents had hurt them way worse than any man had ever hurt me. Will and Cat would never know the damage they had done in the years I was gone and in the months since my return. We wouldn't give up on them now, just as they hadn't been willing to give me up. They were my sister and brother, even if we didn't have the same blood. I could do this for Alice, who did her best to keep our spirits up. She would help Jasper through this, just as Emmett would help Rose. They were true soul mates and you can't break a bond like that. Edward taught me that. I could do this for Emmett, my big brother and protector. He had been the one who held my hand when I was scared, who let me lash out at him. He was the one who brought me home.

I could do this for Garrett and Kate, who gave me the tools to get my life back and now, it was my turn to help them. They were now a part of our family, our new brother and sister, and we would not abandon them when they brought us back together. I could do this for Edward, who never stopped loving me. For Edward who protected me in the darkness and gave me the strength to keep fighting, who taught me to love. For Edward who thought every part of me was beautiful, even my scars.

But most of all, I could do this for myself. I could keep going, keep fighting, keep breathing because no matter what, I was a survivor. I had fought for six years against the monster who tried to break me and couldn't because I didn't let him. I fought for months to get my life back and, while my life would never be as it was before I was taken to hell, I would never lose my family. We truly were together forever.

"Are you ready?" asked Edward as we stepped in front of the door to the hotel room.

"Yes," I muttered, taking a deep breath.

"I love you," he whispered, pressing his lips to the side of my head.

"I love you, too," I whispered.

Edward slipped his keycard into the lock and pushed the door open. My parents, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, Garrett, and Kate were sitting on the beds, chairs, and pacing around the room. All of them looked up at me and I saw the mixture of anger and relief flash across their faces. Edward pulled me into the room and shut the door behind us.

"Hi," I muttered.

"Hi?" snapped Emmett, slamming his hand onto the wall. "Hi? Where the fuck have you been, B?"

"I was walking," I said, looking down at the floor.

"Walking?" asked Charlie, standing up. I looked over at him. He was struggling to keep control. "Do you have any idea how fucking scared we were?"

"Yes," I whispered. "I'm sorry but I…"

"Bella, we know that you are upset," said Renee, moving over and lifting my face to look at her. "We are, too. They hurt us just as much as they hurt you, but you can't go running off every time you get mad."

"I know," I cried. "I just…they hurt Rosie and J, Mom, because of me."

"Not because of you, B," said Rose. I looked over at her. She had her head on Jasper's shoulder. "You have done nothing to cause them to act like this. They are scared and angry. They can't move past it but you can. You can't let them win anymore than you can let all those bastards win."

"They hurt you, Rosie," I cried. She moved over and pulled me into her arms.

"Yes, they did but they hurt you more," she whispered. "B, I am not letting you go. Not now, not ever. I love you, sister."

"I love you, too, Rosie," I cried. "I love you all so much."

"Bella," said Garrett. I pulled back from Rose and looked over at him. "You see all these people standing around you?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"They are still here," he said, smiling. "We love you and this is just one more mountain to climb."

"They love you, too," I muttered.

"I know," he murmured. "I'm going to be ok because I know that no matter what, I have a family that isn't going to give up when things get bad," he whispered, letting his tears fall. "I've already lost my brother, Bella. I can't lose my sister, too."

"You won't," I cried, crossing the room and hugging him. "Ever."

"Good, cause even though you are a total pain in the ass, I kind of need you," he sobbed.

"I need you, too," I whispered.

"Ok, we have a little while before it's time to head down to the prison so why don't we grab some breakfast," suggested Esme, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I think we all need some food."

"I could eat," I whispered, nodding my head. "E and I will meet you down there in a bit ok?"

"Ok, sweetheart."

Everyone hugged me before they walked out of mine and Edward's room, leaving the two of us alone. He picked up our suitcase and started fishing out clean clothes for us to wear but I needed to do something before we faced those men. I needed to Edward to have me in everyway possible. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"E?" I whispered, opening my eyes.

"What?" he asked, looking up at me

"I want you to make love to me," I barely whispered. Edward froze for a second before he took a deep breath.

"What?" he whispered.

"I want you to make love to me." My voice shook as I spoke louder but I knew that I was ready for this and I needed this.

"Are you sure you are ready? I don't want you to do this just because you are scared," he whispered.

"I'm not scared to be with you, Edward. I need to start living my life away from the fear. I need to know what it feels like for a you to make love to me." I paused as I felt the tears building up in my eyes. "I need to know before I go into that room that sex isn't about pain and humiliation. I'm ready to be yours one hundred percent," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.

"I love you so much, Bella," he murmured before he kissed me. "If you are sure, I will make love to you."

Edward slowly pulled off my shirt. I lifted my shaking hands and tugged of his t-shirt. I ran my hands down his marbled chest. I pulled the button on his jeans and slowly lowered the zipper before I pushed them down. Edward undid my jeans and pushed them down to my feet. We stepped out of our pants and kicked them aside. Edward slowly removed my bra. He pulled my panties down over my hips and down my legs. I stepped out of them. I pushed his boxers down over his hips. I took a deep breath and looked down at him. He was so beautiful. I slowly reached down and began stroking him.

"B…" he moaned as he closed his eyes.

Edward lifted me up and laid me on the bed. He bent down and kissed me softly. He moved his lips down to my breast. Gently sucking in each of my nipples, ignoring the scars. Slowly he kissed and licked his way down to my wet core. He kissed my pink lips gently before he plunged his tongue into me. I could feel my body shake from the pleasure he was giving me. He pulled my clit into his mouth as he slowly pushed a finger inside of me.

"E, don't stop. Please don't stop loving me," I moaned softly.

Edward continued to thrust his finger inside of me, adding another finger slowly. He pulled and nibbled on my clit. I could feel the knot building inside of me as he continued to worship my body. I arched my back when I felt a wave of pleasure shoot through me.

"Edward, fuck, I…so good," I moaned.

Edward kissed his way back up to my body until he reached my lips. He gently kissed me and moved so that he was hovering over me. I could feel the tip of his erection rubbing my entrance. For a moment, I felt the panic began to rise but Edward just wrapped his arms around my back and I felt my body relax. I knew was ready.

"I'm ready," I whispered.

"I love you so much, B," whispered Edward as he began to slowly push himself into me.

I closed my eyes waiting for the pain to come but it never did. Once Edward was completely inside of me, he paused giving me a chance to push my panic down. I opened my eyes and saw the love in his eyes. I leaned up and kissed him as I moved my hips to encourage him to move with me. Edward slowly pulled out before slowly pushing back in. Over and over he gently made love to me. He caressed my body with his hands. He wiped the tears that fell from my eyes when I felt how much he loved me. As we climaxed together, he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine softly. For a few minutes we just laid in the bed with our arms wrapped around each other.

"Edward, thank you," I whispered. "I haven't felt so beautiful in long time."

"Bella, you have always been the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I love you so much," he whispered before he kissed me again.

"I love you too." I whispered. I knew I would be ok.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Big, huge step for Bella and Edward but they were ready. **


	44. Chapter 44

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

Edward and I finally got up and went to take a shower together. We gently caressed each other's bodies. We were finally one person, together forever. After we showered and got dressed, we met the others downstairs. Garrett just smirked and chuckled. Fucking asshole knew that Edward and I had made love. I rolled my eyes at him and ignored him as we went into the hotel restaurant. He grabbed my arm and told the others to go ahead. They all just shrugged their shoulders and went inside. Garrett pulled me into a private corner.

"So?" he whispered.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Honey, I know what you and Edward just did. I can see it written all over your face," he chuckled softly with a smile. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," I whispered. "It was kind of scary at first but he was patient and so incredibly gentle. I just need to know that sex isn't always painful. He made love to me."

"That was a big step, honey. I am proud of you for taking it slowly with him," whispered Garrett. "He is one of the good guys."

"So are you, honey. Are you and Kate going to be ok?" I asked.

"Yeah. She told me that I hurt her when I pushed her away but that she understood that I was ashamed and scared. I told her that I didn't think I deserved to have her love. We promised to try to be honest with each other about what we are feeling," he said.

"Good because if you hurt her like that again, I will kick you skinny ass," I said, firmly.

"I let you win every time," Garrett chuckled.

"Whatever, Gar," I chuckled. "Can we go eat now? I am starving."

"I'm sure you are after the amazing sex you just had," he snickered. "At least from what I could tell from the noises coming through the wall."

"Garrett, sometimes you act like a fucking asshole," I chuckled as I punched him in the arm.

"Fuck, Bella. Stop hitting me. I am going to get another bruise," he grumbled.

"Too bad, honey," I chuckled as I ran into the restaurant. I went over and sat next to Edward.

"You fucking cheat," pouted Garrett as he came running in.

"Stop being a baby," I snorted.

"Pot meet kettle, honey," he chuckled.

"I really don't like being called honey," I grumbled.

"I know, that's why I do it," smirked Garrett.

"They really are like brother and sister," chuckled Charlie. I looked over at him confused.

"What?" I asked.

"You and Garrett. All you do is fight and pick on each other. Just like brothers and sisters do," chuckled Charlie.

"Does that mean I can call you dad?" chuckled Garrett.

"Sure," laughed Charlie.

"Ok, Dad," laughed Garrett.

"Great, another pain in the ass brother," I teased.

"Yes, now Garrett and I can team up against her," chuckled Emmett.

"Em, I could take you both down," I laughed.

"Whatever, honey," chuckled Garrett and Emmett together. I just rolled my eyes at them.

"It's ok, Bella. You and I can team up against them," smirked Kate. Garrett's face paled.

"Katie, don't let her corrupt you," begged Garrett.

"Too late," I chuckled.

The waitress came over and took our breakfast order. Everyone looked at me funny when I ordered five pancakes, three eggs, bacon and sausage but I just blushed and told them I was hungry. Garrett opened his mouth to say something but I narrowed my eyes at him. He just chuckled and shook his head at me. The others seemed confused by our exchange. I did notice that Kate whispered something in Edward's ear that made him blush and shift in his seat slightly. I chuckled and grabbed his hand.

We broke out in small talk while we waited for our food to get there. I watched my family interact with each other. Carlisle and Esme were talking to Charlie and Renee about how they were going to move Rose and Jasper in our houses. Jasper was going to move in with us. He and Emmett would share a room. Rose was going to move in with Carlisle and Esme. She would share a room with Alice. They knew that I still needed my own space.

Emmett and Garrett were making plans of how they were going to take me down. I just rolled my eyes and ignored them both. Kate was talking to Rose and Alice about going shopping once we got back to Forks. Garrett and Kate had agreed to come to Forks with us until the trial started in a couple weeks. Then we would come back to Phoenix together. We could spend the next couple weeks working through the pain. Edward and I spent the entire time wrapped in each other's arms.

The waitress brought our food to us. I took a big bite of my pancakes and moaned loudly. Everyone looked up at me. "What?" I asked as I swallowed my food. "It taste good."

"I bet it does," chuckled Garrett.

"Garrett," I warned.

"What? I was just saying that the pancakes must taste good. I mean you really, really seem to like it from the sound of your moan," he laughed. Kate started laughing hysterically.

"I really hate you sometimes," I laughed.

"Come on, Bella. The pancakes must be REALLY good," laughed Kate.

"What is going on?" asked Alice. "The pancakes can't be…never mind."

"What?" asked Emmett.

"Nothing, Em. They are just really good pancakes," chuckled Alice. She leaned over and whispered something in Jasper's ear. He just started laughing loudly, causing me to blush when he looked from me to Edward.

"E, how are your pancakes?" laughed Jasper.

"My pancakes are delicious," chuckled Edward, who was a little red in the face. Rose was just sitting there looking confused. Suddenly, she threw her hands to her mouth and started laughing.

"Oh," chuckled Rose. "I bet they are really good pancakes, E."

"Someone needs to tell me what is going on," demanded Emmett. Carlisle, Esme, Charlie and Renee all looked very confused.

"Em, we are just talking about the how good the pancakes are," chuckled Rose. Emmett just sat there for a moment confused buy everything. Suddenly, he gasped and narrowed his eyes at Edward.

"I think E doesn't need to be having any more pancakes," growled Emmett.

"Em, I think E can decide for himself if he wants anymore fluffy pancakes," I growled back at him.

"I don't think you need anymore pancakes either. You have had plenty of pancakes," he snapped.

"Maybe these pancakes are different from the other pancakes I've had. Maybe these pancakes are the good kind of pancakes," I yelled.

"You aren't ready for good pancakes," he yelled back.

"Maybe I want the pancakes. Maybe I need to know that having pancakes is nice instead of being bad," I snapped. I pushed my chair away from the table and grabbed Edward's hand. "Come on, E. Let's go find someplace else to get some nice, hot pancakes."

I pulled Edward out of the restaurant. I could hear everyone, but our parents, yelling at Emmett that he was being a fucking idiot. Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me out to one of the couches. We sat down and I closed my eyes and tried to push my anger aside. I knew he meant well but he had no business commenting on my personal life with Edward. What Edward and I do was our business, not theirs. We sat there on the couches for about twenty more minutes before everyone came out. Emmett was holding a take out box in his hand. They came over to me and held out the box to me.

"B, I'm sorry. You're right. You deserve to have good pancakes," he muttered.

"Thanks, Em. I'm sorry that I got mad. I just really needed the pancakes," I whispered. "The pancakes made me feel…better."

"Good. I'm glad the pancakes made you feel better," he chuckled. "I just don't need to hear how much you like the pancakes."

"But, Em, the pancakes were really good. I think they were the best pancakes ever," I chuckled.

"I don't think I want to know what the pancakes really are," grumbled Renee.

"Me either," whispered Esme. "The pancakes can't be that good."

"Ugh, can we please stop talking about pancakes?" I grumbled.

"We should get going," said Garrett. We all sobered up immediately.

"Ok, let's go," I whispered.

The twelve of us climbed into three cabs and made our way down to the prison. I could feel my nerves starting to get the better of me. I closed my eyes and tried to push it all back. Once I felt the cab stop, I opened my eyes. As we climbed out of the cab, Garrett and Edward wrapped their arms around me and the twelve of us made our way into the prison. We walked up to the front desk and told them who were. The guard sitting behind the desk looked at me with a surge of pity and I really had to stifle my urge to tell him to fuck off. Garrett squeezed my shoulder and I took a deep breath. The twelve of us were led into this small room. A few minutes later, the prison warden came in. He was an older man around fifty. He had black hair and black eyes.

"Miss Swan, I am Caius Santiago, the warden. How are you doing today?" he asked as he came in.

"I've been better," I said softly.

"I'm sure you have been. Are you sure you want to face those men?" he asked.

"Yes, I have to," I said. "It's the only way I will ever heal from it all. We all need to face them."

"Ok. We have had them all brought into the visitors room. We have twenty guards in there with them so you and your family should be safe. If you are ready, you can follow me," he said sadly.

The twelve of us followed him down a long bricked hallway, pausing outside of the door. He looked back at me and I nodded my head at him, silently telling him we were ready. He knocked on the door loudly. A few seconds later the door was opened. I could feel my body began to shake as we followed them into the room to face the men that had raped me. I looked out and felt the tears fall from my eyes when I saw each face. Some of them not much older than I was. Some of them were the same age as Charlie and Carlisle. They looked up and saw me. Several of them started laughing when they saw the tears pouring down my face. Caius stepped up in front of the mike that had been placed in the room for me. He cleared this throat and they all settled down.

"I want to make myself very clear. You are to sit there and listen to what Miss Swan and her family has to say to you. I don't want to even hear a whisper coming from one of you. Do I make myself clear?" he snapped at them all. They all just sat there smirking at him. "Miss Swan?"

I took a couple deep breaths and took the microphone from his hand. I could feel my entire body shake as I felt their eyes boring into me.

"You all have no fucking idea what you did to me. Every time you put your hands on me, every time you hit me or fucking cut me, or raped me, you killed a piece of me that I will never get back. I was little girl when that bastard took me from my family. I was a little girl when he stole my life way from me. He may have been the one who fucking kidnapped me from my family but you all made the choice to let him keep me. Every time you came into that room, you could have helped me but you chose to fucking rape me. You chose to turn me into your fucking whore. No matter how much I wish that I could make you feel every bit of pain that I did, make you cry and scream for help the way you made me, I know that you never will know the kind of pain I felt. I was kept locked in the darkest pits of hell for six years while you just fucking laughed at me. I was left in the darkest pits of hell while you fucking spit on me, while you pulled knives out and fucking cut me, while you raped me to badly that I fucking passed out from the pain. I hope you all fucking rot in hell with him," I snapped through my tears. I turned and gave the mike to Emmett. He just hugged me and turned to look at them.

"I will never fucking understand how you could look at my sister like that. I can't understand why you would chose to hurt her. She is the strongest person I have ever know for being able to come here today and even look at you. You broke her. When you broke her, you broke us all. I hope that everyday that you sit in hell, that you have to suffer as much as she has," he snapped through his tears. He turned and gave the mike to Renee.

"I didn't want to come here today. I hate you all more than I have ever hated anyone. She is my baby. She is perfect and for five years and nine long months, I prayed that God would bring my baby back to me. When she came back to me, she wasn't my baby anymore. You all had broken her. She was so lost and afraid of everything. I would have sit in the hall way outside of her hospital room for two months and listen to her scream out in her sleep. She relived everything that you bastards did to her every night. Nobody should ever have to listen to their daughter tell them how they were tied to a table and raped for hours. Nobody should have to sit there and listen to their daughter telling her that she wanted to die because she can't handle the pain and humiliation that you put her through. She has worked so hard to rebuild her life. She is amazing. She is a survivor. I hope you have to live the rest of your pathetic lives in hell," snapped Renee. She wiped the tears off her face and handed Charlie the mike. She came over and hugged me.

"I'm not as nice as the rest of them. I fucking hate every last one of you. I wish I could beat the living shit out of each of you for putting your fucking hands on my baby girl. But I can't do that. She has taught me that I have to take the hurt and the pain that I feel everyday, and use it to help all those girls whose daddies didn't get to see them after you hurt them. I am going to make it my personal challenge to see that they all get to tell you that you are going to rot in hell," growled Charlie. He turned and handed the mike to Edward. Charlie came over and pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Daddy" I whispered as Edward turned to look at the men. They all were just sitting there. A few of them had tears running down their faces but most of them looked blank.

"I am speaking on behalf of the rest of her family, her friends who were left behind. Ever since we were little, she has been the strongest one of us. She would protect us when we did something that our parents wouldn't like. She would take the blame and the punishment for us. The day that he stole her from us, the rest of us were lost. We didn't know how to live without our sister, our best friend, my love. For 2095 days, we wondered in the world just praying that one day we would get her back. But we never did get the same happy, carefree girl back. Instead we got the scared, timid girl that had been starved, beaten, whipped, raped, and made to be your whore for 2095 days. We got the girl who was afraid to let us back in because she didn't want us to get hurt when she told us everything that you fucking bastards did to her. She took every hit, every cut, every rape so that we didn't. She spent 2095 days in fucking hell so that we didn't. She didn't deserve to be used like that. She didn't deserve to be pushed to the point that she felt it would be better for all of us if she killed herself. She is the strongest, most beautiful girl I have ever met. I know that she will be fine despite the fact that you broke her. I will be spending the rest of my life making sure she knows that you will never fucking touch her again," snapped Edward as he let his tears fall.

He handed the mike back to Caius. Edward came over and wrapped his arms around me. We followed Caius out of the room and back out to the front of he prison. He turned to look back at me.

"Miss Swan, I am very impressed with you and your family. I hope that you get some closure from this. Have a happy life."

"Thank you, sir. I plan to," I whispered.

The twelve of us made our way out to the cabs in silence. We didn't say anything as we drove to the airport. So much had already been said and so much more was being said in our silence. We slowly made our way through the airport and got on the plane. Once we took off, I turned and looked at my family.

"Thank you for coming with me today. I couldn't have faced them with out all of you. I couldn't have done any of this without each and every one of you. I know that it is still going to be hard to push the pain and the fear back but I as long as we have each other, we can do it. I love you all."

"Bella, you give us the strength to keep going. We love you too, baby," cried Renee. "I am very proud of you."

"I am very proud of you , Bella and Garrett," said Charlie. "None of us really understand how you both feel. Or how Kate must feel but the best thing we ever did was to let you two take Bella to Brazil. It was hard to let you go, baby, but you and Garrett and Kate need each other in ways that the rest of us will never know. We get that now."

"I love you, Daddy. You will always be my number one guy," I whispered. "Forever."

"You will always be my little girl," he cried. "Forever."

We spent the rest of the trip home in silence. We were all lost in our loved ones. I realized while I was standing in front of those men listening to my family tell them how they felt that we would be ok. We had each other. When the day comes, and it will come soon, that we have to move on and live apart again, that we will never truly be apart. Our lives are connected through the pain and hurt that we all feel.

By the time we got home, we were all exhausted. We pulled up in front of the house and all climbed out. We walked onto the porch and found all of Jasper's and Rose's belonging sitting on the porch. We all just sighed and helped them move them into the houses. Maybe one day, Will and Cat would be able to move past their fear. I just worried that it will be too late. Garrett and Kate were going to stay with us in our guest room. After we got everything moved into the house, we all went to bed. It had been a long day. Edward stayed with me. I wasn't ready to let him go. I woke up a few times in the night crying, but slowly I was putting my happy place back together.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Bet you never think of pancakes quite the same way again, will ya?**


	45. Chapter 45

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

I woke up the next morning before Edward did. Rolling onto my side, I looked at the beautiful man that was laying next to me with his arms wrapped around me. He was laying on his side, sound asleep. His mouth was barely open and he was breathing heavily. He was beautiful and he was mine. Finally, he was one hundred percent mine and I was his.

"Are you going to keep staring at me?" he muttered, keeping his eyes closed.

"Yes," I said, smiling. Edward slowly opened his eyes and smiled.

"Are you ok?" he asked, bringing his hand up and pushing my hair out of my eyes. "You were up a lot last night."

"I'm ok," I murmured. "I'm sorry for keeping you awake."

"Don't be sorry," he whispered. "I like being with you."

"I like being with you, too," I said. "I'm nervous about school."

"Me too," he admitted. "But we can't hide, right? We'll do it together, just like we've done everything else."

"Together," I muttered.

"I'm going to run home and shower," he said, softly. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Ok,," I smiled, leaning in and kissing him.

While Edward ran over to his house to shower, I climbed into my shower. To be honest, I was terrified about going back to school. I knew that after disappearing again for nearly two weeks that everyone was going to stare at me. Especially with Lauren and Jessica back here in Forks. I knew they had worked through a lot of their issues while on the island but would they turn back to the people they used to be now that they were back here?

I pushed all thoughts of Lauren and Jessica out of my head as I finished my shower, dried off, and headed into my bedroom. I slipped on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. I added my black boots and one of my fingerless gloves before I headed downstairs to the kitchen. Charlie, Renee, Emmett, Jasper, Kate, and Garrett were sitting at the table but nobody was speaking. I knew they weren't mad about anything, just nervous. Today was like starting all over for us…again.

I went over and took the seat next to Garrett and grabbed a banana. I leaned my head on his shoulder, causing him to chuckle and wrap his arm around me. "Are you ok?" I asked, quietly.

"I think so," he muttered.

"Are you coming to school with me?" I asked, hopefully.

"If that's ok with you," he murmured. "I don't…"

"It's fine," I said, looking up at him. "I kind of need you close, too."

"Well, we're just a phone call away if you need us," said Kate, taking our hands in hers.

"You're not coming?" I asked, frowning.

"No," she said, smiling softly. "I'm going to go help Charlie-"

"Dad," muttered Charlie, clearing his throat. Kate smiled even bigger.

"I'm going to go help Dad and Mom," she said, giving him a look. He smiled and ducked his head. "At the coffee shop but I can be there in three minutes if you either of you need me, ok?"

"Ok," I whispered.

"Gar, baby?" she asked.

"Ok," he muttered, shakily. "Just…ok."

"We should go," I said, standing up. I looked around at my parents. "I love you."

"We love you, too," they said together.

"All of you," said Renee, looking at Garrett.

He nodded his head before he got up and walked out of the house. Emmett, Jasper, and I followed him and found Edward, Alice, and Rose waiting for us at the jeep. Jasper was immediately at Alice's side and Emmett at Rose's. They had clearly missed each other. We loaded into our cars and headed to school.

Garrett, Edward, and I rode with Emmett while Jasper, Rose, and Alice took Rose and Jasper's car. Emmett pulled the jeep up in the parking lot and cut the engine. He turned and looked back at me and Garrett before he climbed out. Edward followed his lead and held his hand out to me. I smiled as I placed my hand in his and let him help me out of the jeep. Garrett climbed out after me and took my other hand in his.

The four of us followed Jasper, Rose, and Alice into the school. Just as I knew was going to happen, everyone stopped and stared at us. I do mean everyone, from students to teachers. Just fucking great. We walked into the office and found Eleazar standing next to Mrs. Cope. He looked up at us and smile, a genuine smile.

"Bella, Garrett," he sighed, coming over to us. He hugged me and shook Garrett's hand. "How are you holding up?"

"We're ok," I said, quietly. "We're working on it. We just wanted to thank you again for being understanding."

"Bella, sweetheart, you doing what I wish my Amanda could have done," he said, tearing up. "You're living. You're surviving and… I feel like your doing this for her, too."

"I am," I whispered, wiping away my tears. "I'm sure she would be proud of you, Eleazar."

"You think so?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "You've always been here, welcoming me back and helping me through…everything," I cried. "I'm lucky to have you in my life."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm just lucky enough to help you," he whispered. "My Amanda would have loved you."

"You think so?" I asked, wiping my tears off.

"Yeah, she was…a lot like you, Bella," smiled Eleazar. "She was smart and beautiful. She was a fighter and I have no doubt in my mind that she gave whoever took her, one hell of a good fight."

"I'm sure she did," I said, patting his arm. "We had better get to class."

"I'm here if you need me," said Eleazar, nodding his head. He looked over at Garrett. "For you, too, Garrett."

"Thank you," murmured Garrett, nodding his head. "I appreciate that."

We head out into the hall and down to our first period classes. Edward kept my hand in his while Garrett placed his hand on my back. I wasn't sure if it was for me or him or maybe both. All I really knew was that I felt better with Garrett next to me. We walked into English and headed over to our seats, all while everyone stopped and stared at us. Didn't they have anything better to do than stare?

Mrs. Owens came in, pausing for a moment when she saw us, and headed over to her desk. She placed her belongings on top and looked around at everyone, letting her eyes stay on me for a second longer than everyone else.

"Today, we are going to do something a little different," she said. "I want you all to take out a sheet of paper and write a short essay on what you want your life to mean. Take some time and really think about what I am asking you."

She looked over at me and Garrett again before she settled behind her desk. I pulled out a sheet of notebook paper and began to write my essay. Just before the bell was due to ring, Mrs. Owens stood up and cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Would anyone like to share their essays with the class?" she asked, hopefully. Nobody said anything as they shifted in their seats. I took a deep breath and raised my hand.

"I…I will," I stammered. I kept my eyes on her as she and everyone looked over at me. Edward reached over and grabbed my hand while Garrett placed his hand on my back.

"Ok, Bella," she smiled. I cleared my throat as I started reading my essay out loud.

"When the time comes that I find myself looking back on my life, I hope that I see a life that was spent living for the moment. A life that was spent fighting each day to make it a better day for someone who needs me as much as I need to help them. My life has a purpose and that purpose is to help others find their way through the darkness and pain. I want my life to show that, even though I've lived in hell, that I managed to make it through and, in the end, that's all that matters."

I wiped the tears off my face as I finished reading my essay. The bell rang, startling everyone. They stood up and slowly walked out of the room. Garrett, Edward, and I went to follow them but stopped when Mrs. Owens called my name. I looked back at her.

"Thank you for being honest with us," she said, smiling.

"Why did you assign us the essay?" I asked, turning and facing her. She smiled as she leaned and sat on the edge of her desk.

"Because you all will be graduating in a few months and I think they, more than you, needed to think about what the future holds for them. One of the best ways to do that is have them think about what they want their lives to mean," she explained.

"Why them more than me?" I asked.

"Because you've seen what your life is going to mean," she said, quietly. "As you said in your essay, you've made it through hell and that really is all that matters."

"Oh," I murmured.

"You had better get to class," she smiled, standing up. "Have a good day."

"I'll try," I muttered.

The rest of the morning dragged by slower and slower. Each class passed by just as the first did. Everyone stared at us until our teachers pulled their attention off of us. Even then a few people stared at us. During History, I saw Peter sitting by Lauren. She looked scared to death and like complete shit. When she took her seat, those who sat around her, pulled their desks away like they were afraid she had a communicable disease or something. Peter gave me a small smile as he placed his hand on her back, trying to comfort her. They had no idea what they were doing to her.

Finally, it was time to go to lunch. I sat down between Garrett and Edward, laying my head on my loves shoulder and sighed. It had been a long day and I was ready for some peace and quiet. Of course I should have known better than to think I would get some because I heard the doors to the cafeteria open and then I heard them.

"BITCHES!"

"SLUTS!"

"WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE!"

I spun in my seat and looked back to see Lauren and Jessica standing there with Peter and Charlotte. They had turned and were trying to walk out but Peter and Charlotte had their arms around them, holding them against his chest. I looked around the room as nearly everyone called them names. I barely registered making the decision but I stood up, throwing my chair back and faced them all.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. Everyone turned and looked at me but I crossed the room and headed over to Lauren, Jessica, Charlotte, and Peter. They were sobbing uncontrollably. I placed a hand on both of their backs and said, "Peter, Char, take them over to the others, please."

Peter nodded his head and pulled them over to where Edward and everyone was sitting. I looked around the room again. "How dare you treat them like that?" I said, shaking my head. "Can't you see how much they are hurting?"

"How can you defend them after what they did?" asked Angela, standing up. Ben reached up to grab her hand but she shoved him off. "They fucking tormented you, Bella."

"How does it feel to live in your bubble, Angela?" I snapped. She folded her arms across her chest but didn't say anything. I looked around at everyone. "Tell me how it feels to be able to sleep every night without worrying about the monsters because I don't know. Lauren and Jessica don't know, either. Instead of trying to help them, all you are doing is tearing them down. You're doing to them what they did to me and it doesn't make it ok!"

"Bella, they threw you into the glass doors," said Angela. "They called you every fucking name you can think of."

"I know, Ang," I said. "I know exactly what they did and it was wrong. They know that now but every time you call them a bitch or whore, you are tearing apart their souls."

"Good," she snapped. "They deserve it."

"Nobody deserves to be treated like that, Angela," I said, shaking my head. "If you could get your head out of your ass for a minute and really look, you would see that I am right."

I turned away from everyone and headed over to where Lauren and Jessica were sitting with Edward, Emmett, Rose, Alice, Jasper, Garrett, and Peter. Everyone was angry at them, I understood that but treating them all like that didn't help anything. All they were going to do us drive them to the point where they hurt themselves or someone else. It wasn't worth it. I knelt down in front of Lauren and Jessica, placing my hands on top of theirs.

"You can't let them tell you that you are worthless," I said, quietly. "You've worked too hard to make become better people."

"How can you be so nice to us after what we did?" asked Jessica.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I truly appreciate them all.**


	46. Chapter 46

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"I will admit that it's hard but I can't let my anger run my life. When I was being held in the darkness, I would curl up in my corner. It was the only place I felt safe. I would cry and scream for someone to help me. Eventually, I realized that nobody was coming to save me. See, I wanted the fairy tale. I wanted my prince charming to ride up on his big white horse and defeat the evil wizard and take me to my happily ever after. In someway, Edward has done that, but I realize now that no matter what I do, the pain and the fear, are just going to be there. But I also realize that I get to control how I use that pain and the power that comes from the pain. I could use the power to hurt you but I choose to use that power to help you because nobody deserves to be treated like a freak. Nobody deserves to be called a bitch or a whore or any of the other names they were calling you. I choose to forgive you," I whispered, through my tears.

"You…you for…forgive us?" whispered Lauren through her tears.

"Yes, I can't promise that I can ever be more than just a nice person to you, but I'm not going to let my anger control me anymore," I cried.

"We won't let our anger control us anymore," muttered Edward as he let his tears fall.

"Thank you, Bella," cried Jessica.

"Thank you for helping us," cried Lauren as the bell rang.

"We will meet you in class, Edward," said Garrett.

"Ok," he muttered, softly.

He gave me a kiss and left with the others. Peter went to leave with Lauren, Jessica and Charlotte but Garrett asked him to stay with us. Slowly, the cafeteria emptied leaving just me, Garrett and Peter.

"Bella, I am really proud of you for standing up for them," said Garrett.

"Thanks," I whispered. "It just wasn't right."

"They have been getting that treatment since we got home. Even their parents have been getting phone calls like that," said Peter.

"I don't understand how people can be so cruel," I said softly.

"They are mad. They are afraid. I think that most of the kids here know that there is more to Lauren and Jessica's story than just that they felt guilty for treating you the way they did when you were found," said Peter. I thought I was a flash of guilt flash through his eyes. "They don't know how to deal with their own feelings of guilt."

"Peter, would you tell me your story?" I asked.

"Has Charlotte told you hers?" he asked as a tear fell from his eye.

"Yes."

"My father was the man who raped and stabbed her. He wasn't a very nice man to me ever. Until that night he never physically hurt me but verbally he tore me to pieces nearly every night. Charlotte was over at my house studying for a biology test we were having the next day. I wasn't supposed to have people over but I thought I could take her home before he came home but he came home early. He was pissed off. He insisted on taking her home. I was laying on my bed when he came home. He was covered in her blood. He walked into my room and just started laughing. He said 'that little bitch of your was a fucking fantastic fuck.' I was so pissed at him. I knew that he had raped her. I was in love with her and I knew that she wouldn't willingly have sex with him. I flew off my bed and tried to beat he crap out of him but he was much bigger than I was. I was only sixteen. He just laughed and threw me into a wall. He came over and he pulled me onto my bed. He said 'I'll show you how much the little bitch enjoyed me fucking her.' He raped me. My mother came in while he was raping me. She grabbed a gun that he kept in the closet and shot him. She turned and looked at me and said 'I'm sorry I didn't do that when he raped me.' She put the gun in her mouth and killed herself." Peter paused and looked away for us.

"The police came a few minutes later. I was just laying on my bed with my pants down at my ankles. I was bleeding and crying. They took me to the hospital and told me that I would be just fine. Just peachy. I went down and saw Charlotte. She was still so beautiful even though she had bruises on her face from where he hit her. For the next three months, I sat next to her bed and held her hand as she slept. When she finally opened her beautiful black eyes, she begged me to take her away. I couldn't say no to her. So I snuck her out of the hospital and we went to our spot. We used to love to sit on this bridge just on the outskirts of Houston. She looked over at me and said 'I can't live knowing that he hurt you.' She stood up and jumped of the bridge. I rushed her back to the hospital. She had broken her leg, and her arm. A few weeks later, I was able to convince her that we needed help. Neither of us were dealing with what had happened to us. We meet Garrett and Kate in group therapy a few weeks later. He and Kate helped us let of our pain and our anger. When they opened the resort, we came to help him. It's been four years since the night that my father did all that to us. It hasn't been easy but Char and I know that we can get through anything as long as we have each other," muttered Peter through his tears.

"Thank you for sharing your story with me," I cried. "I am glad you and Charlotte were able to work it out. I love you both very much."

"We love you too, Bella," he said. "We are very proud of you for facing those men yesterday."

"It was so hard," I whispered. "I don't know how I did it."

"Bella, I was thinking about asking Eleazar if he could help us get parents and students together tomorrow for an assembly. I think you need to talk to them all. I think they need to hear that you are not going to let them hurt you anymore," said Garrett.

"I don't know," I said, warily as I pulled my knees up. "Last time, they weren't very nice to me."

"Last time wasn't about you, honey. That was them being afraid," snorted Garrett. "I think you can help them like you helped Lauren and Jessica."

"Do you promise not to leave me alone out there?" I whispered, through my tears.

"I promise, honey. I will never leave you," whispered Garrett.

"Ok," I cried softly. "I'll do it."

"Good girl, honey. Let's get to class," whispered Garrett pulling me into his arms.

He held me close to him as I let my tears fall. I knew I needed to do this. I needed to do this for Lauren and Jessica, for Eleazar's Amanda. I needed to do this for all the kids who are letting their fear and guilt control them. By the time we got to biology, there was only about fifteen minutes left. Edward looked concerned when he saw me crying but he just pulled me into his lap and held me while I let my tears fall. When the bell rang, Garrett went to turn in my work for me and to let Mr. Banner know that everything was ok.

We made our way to Trig. As soon as Mr. Varner saw Garrett he paled and flinched slightly. Edward, Garrett and I chuckled as we walked to our seat. Trig went by painfully slow. Mr. Varner was jumpy and nervous through out the entire class. I kind of felt sorry for him. He really had been treated very rudely since I came back from Brazil. When the bell rang, Garrett and I went down to the office to talk to Eleazar about a meeting tomorrow. He said he thought it was a great idea. He said we could do it first thing in the morning. He activated what he called the phone tree. All I knew was that he promised to call everyone's parents and let them know.

We went out and met the others at the car. We drove home and worked on our homework until Charlie, Renee and Kate got home. Garrett and I helped the other with some of their makeup work. About an hour later, Charlie, Renee, Kate, Carlisle and Esme came over. Renee and I made dinner for everyone. We told them about our day while we ate. They were surprised that I helped Lauren and Jessica the way I did but I just told them that it was the right thing to do. We told them about the assembly in the morning. They all concerned with how I was going to handle getting up in front of everyone again but I told them that this was just one more fear I had to overcome.

After we cleaned up our dishes from dinner, Garrett and I went into my room and worked on the relaxation techniques some more. We had only been up there for about an hour when Renee came up and knocked on my door.

"Come in," I sighed. She pushed the door open.

"Bella, Lauren and Jessica's parents would like to have a word with you," she said. "They are downstairs in the living room."

"Ok," I murmured. Garrett and I stood up and followed them downstairs to the living room. They were sitting on the couches. It looked like they had been crying a lot. "Mr. and Mrs. Mallory, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, is everything ok with Lauren and Jessica?"

"Yes, Bella. They are ok. They came home and told us what you did for them," said Mr. Stanley. "I can't thank you enough for helping them. I thought I was never going to see my Jessica again. Beth and I have been so worried about her since you were taken. We thought she just missed you but when you came home, she was so scared. We should have seen that she needed help. We chose not to see her pain."

"Lauren was the same way. When we realized that you had been kidnapped she went crazy. She pulled away from all of us. I can look back now and see that she let the guilt destroy her. I wish we could have helped her then. Then maybe you wouldn't have to suffer for so long," cried. Mr. Mallory.

"It's not your fault that they didn't tell anyone. They both have taken responsibility for their actions. The man who took me had been watching me for several weeks before he grabbed me. I wish everyday that they would have told anyone but I can't let my anger at them control me anymore. I took a lot of shit for a really long time because I let him guilt me into taking it. When I was found, I didn't know how to let my pain go. I didn't know how to let to the guilt I felt for not fighting hard enough or long enough, go. When I saw our classmates calling them names and I saw their faces, I thought about how I felt when he would call me a whore or a little bitch. How he told me that nobody would ever want me back here. I didn't want them to feel the way he made me feel. The way they made me feel when I came home. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. I can't promise that I will ever be able to let my anger at them both go but I can't let it control me. I have to forgive them before they can forgive themselves. You all have to forgive yourselves to. It's not your fault that they let their fear and shame fester. The only person who is to blame is that man who took me because he hurt more than just me. He hurt more than just my family. He hurt us all."

"How do you do it?" whispered Beth Stanley. "How do you move past it?"

"You need to find someone to talk to as a family," said Renee. "It's the only way for you all to heal."

"We can give you the name of a couple good therapists," said Carlisle. "They helped us a lot."

"Thank you. That would be really nice," whispered Mrs. Mallory. "Thank you, Bella, for helping us get our girls back."

"You're welcome," I said through my tears.

They left and I went and sat out on the hammock for a little while. I was proud of them for asking for help. It's hard to let the pain go sometimes but they have to do it if they are ever going to be happy again. It wasn't going to be easy for them but they needed to do this for Lauren and Jessica. They needed to do this for themselves. After awhile, I made my way back into the house. I went into my room and pulled on my pajamas. I climbed into bed and fell asleep in my happy place.

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	47. Chapter 47

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

I woke up the next morning and went to take a shower. I made my way into my room and went over to my closest. I stood there for several minutes trying to decide what to wear. Normally I would wear a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt but today didn't feel like a normal day for me. It felt like I was going into war, and in some ways I suppose I was, but I wasn't sure what to wear. Then I saw it.

I took a deep breath and pulled out one of the dresses I had bought just a few weeks before. It was a blue knee length, cotton dress with capped sleeves. I slipped it on and pulled on a pair of black leggings and my black ballet flats. I pulled on a black sweater and made my way downstairs to the kitchen.

Charlie and Renee were in the kitchen with Emmett, Garrett, and Kate. Nobody was eating and I knew they were just as nervous as I was about the assembly today but it was something that needed to be done. This town had lived in fear for too long and it was time that we let Phil Dwyer rot in hell where he belonged. Everyone looked up at me and smiled.

"Bella, you're wearing a dress," gasped Renee, bringing her hands up to her face.

"I've decided it was time," I muttered, shrugging my shoulders.

"You look beautiful," she cried, hugging me. I wrapped my arms around her.

"Thanks, Mom," I whispered. I looked over at everyone. "We ready to do this?"

"Yes." they whispered.

We slowly made our way outside to the cars. I climbed into the jeep with Emmett and Garrett. As we drove to school, I leaned my head on Garrett's shoulder and looked out the window. I was trying to be brave but, honestly, I was terrified. Last time I stood up in front of these people, I lost it. What if I that happened again? Would it ever get better? Easier?

"Stop over thinking everything," said Garrett. I looked up at him. "I can see it written all over your face. If I didn't think you were ready for this, then I wouldn't have suggested it."

"I know," I muttered, laying my head back on his shoulder. "Tell me again."

"They need to know that they can't keep hurting you, or anyone else," said Garrett, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me into his chest. "You are so much stronger than you were last time, Bella. They need to see that you aren't going to fucking lay down and let them step all over you."

"You promise not to leave me, right?" I whispered.

"I will be right there the entire time, holding your hand," whispered Garrett. "I told you, I'm not giving up on you."

"I'm not giving up on your, either, Gar," I murmured as Emmett parked the jeep in the parking lot.

After a couple of minutes, Garrett, Emmett, and I climbed out of the jeep. Edward and Kate were waiting for us. Edward slipped his arm around my waist, kissing my cheek as we made our way into the school and down to the gym, taking a seat on the front row. Everyone started filing in. I think nearly everyone's parent's had shown up today. I am pretty sure I saw a few people who don't have children in the school here. Once everyone had settle on the bleachers, I took a deep breath and made my way, with Garrett, out to the middle of the gym with a microphone in my hand. I took a deep breath and began speaking.

"I want to tell you a story," I said softly. "There once was a little girl, who thought she had everything. She had the best parents a girl could want. A fantastic brother, who took care of her, and the best friends. She was happy. She was loved and she loved those around her. Then one day, she was stolen from her friends and family. She dragged into the darkest pits of hell where, she was hurt a lot. After awhile everyone forgot about her. Everyone but her family. They never gave up hope that one day, she would be found and one day, she was found. She desperately wanted to be happy again. She wanted to be the same little girl she was before she was taken but she couldn't be. It took a long time for her to understand that she needed to let go of her pain, her fear, her guilt. She had to let it go in order to save herself." I paused and looked around at everyone in the gym.

"I'm sure many of you have heard how I stood up for Lauren and Jessica yesterday. I know that most of you don't understand how I could do that after what they've done to me but I'm not going to tell you. I will tell you that Lauren and Jessica, as well as their parents, are trying to heal from their own pain, fear, guilt and now it's your turn. It's your turn to let go of your anger at Phil Dwyer because he's gone. He can't come back and hurt any of us again. It's your turn to let go of your anger over the guilt and shame you feel for whatever is in your life because I can promise you that it's not worth it. The pain is just going to eat you alive until you reach the point that you don't know who you are. I've come to realize in the last several days that pain is just a part of my life. I struggle everyday with the guilt I feel for not fighting hard enough, for giving up on life. But everyday I choose to use the power that comes from the pain to push forward, to live another day. To never give up that one day, I won't wake up in the morning scared. That I will feel comfortable in my own skin again. You have to choose right now, how you are going to use the power you have. You can use that power to hurt others or you can use that power to come together as community, as a family, and work together to make us stronger and happy again."

My hands were shaking as I bent down and placed the microphone on the floor. I turned and made my way out of the gym. My legs felt like jelly and my body was shaking. Garrett wrapped his arms around me and led me into empty classroom.

"Bella, you did good," said Garrett.

"I was scared shitless," I whispered. "I don't know how I got through that."

"You're stronger than you realize," whispered Garrett.

"I'm trying," I muttered.

"That's all you can do, honey. You just have to keep trying," whispered Garrett.

"You too," I said, looking up at him. "You have to make that choice, too."

"I know. I just keep thinking about how if feels like just when my life starts to feel normal, feel somewhat complete, it all gets through to shit," said Garrett, sliding into one of the empty desks. I sat down next to him.

"I think we have to resign ourselves to the fact that no matter how much we want it, our lives are shit. We just have to keep going and keep moving. That's the only way we can survive," I said.

"When did you get so smart?" he chuckled.

"I had this really good life coach once…" I trailed off through my chuckles.

"You always will, honey," he said as the bell rang ending first period. "We had better get to class."

"I suppose so," I said.

Garrett and I got up and made our way out of the classroom. We slowly made our way down the hall, through the crowd to my second period history class. We took our seats in the back. Jasper came in a few moments later and took his seat next to us. As the rest of the students filed into the classroom, a few of them stopped and looked at me but most of them went straights to their seats. I could tell that they seemed to be struggling with their feelings. Peter came in and sat with Lauren, who seemed to be a little better today.

By the time lunch came, I was tired. Not so much physically but emotionally exhausted. Through out the morning, I noticed fewer people staring at me. I don't know if it was that they were too busy thinking about what I had said earlier or if they were just trying not to stare. Either way, I appreciated it. Garrett, Emmett, and I were on our way down to the cafeteria when we saw Angela standing outside of the cafeteria doors with Ben. She was pacing back and forth, worry etched on her face. She looked up at me and frowned.

"Bella, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. "Alone."

"Sure," I said, quietly. I looked up at Garrett and Emmett. "I'll be in in a sec, ok?"

"Ok," murmured Garrett, looking over at Angela.

"Yeah, sure," said Emmett. Ben followed Garrett and Emmett inside. Angela turned away from me and took a deep breath.

"What's on your mind, Ang?" I asked.

"I don't understand," she said, looking back at me. I could see the tears swimming in her eyes. "How can you just forgive them after what they did to you?"

"It's not easy, Ang," I said, shaking my head. "I'm still really pissed with them but it's not helping. It doesn't help me or them to hold onto all of my anger."

"But they just treated you like shit." she argued. "How can you defend them?"

"Because I can't let my anger get to me again," I said, pleading with her to understand. "It nearly killed me. I was so mad before I went to Brazil, Angela. I blamed every one of you for me being taken. It's not fair, I know that, but I did. Because I lived in hell and you moved on."

"We didn't move on," she frowned.

"Yes, you did," I sighed. "You watched movies and read books. You laughed and joked." I shook my head. "You fell in love."

"Bella," she whispered.

"It's ok, Ang, cause that's what you were supposed to do," I said. "But it's taken months for me to feel comfortable enough to be able stand in the hallway alone with you. It's taken me months to just…I don't know, feel like I am not in the dark anymore. I can't live there, like that, anymore. If I don't forgive Lauren and Jessica, then I am going to end up stuck there. That's not how I choose to live my life."

"I wish I could be nice as you are," frowned Angela, "but I can't be."

"Maybe one way you can," I murmured, placing my hand on her arm. "Just don't call them names because it hurts way more than you will ever know."

"Ok," whispered Angela.

I left Angela standing out in the hallway, arms wrapped around her body and tears falling down her face. Ben looked up at me and frowned before he headed back out to the hallway. One day Angela would be able to push past her anger and pain but until then, I had no doubt in my mind that she would keep her opinions to herself. I headed over and took my seat between Garrett and Edward, who slipped his arm around my shoulder.

"Everything ok?" he asked. I smiled as I snuggled into his arms.

"Everything's ok," I murmured. And I knew they were because I had my family. That was all that mattered.

**Thank you for all the reviews. A couple more chapters left and then epilogue. **


	48. Chapter 48

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

"Bella, wake up," urged Charlie, shaking my shoulder. "Come on, sleepy head."

"What the hell," I muttered, slowly opening my eyes. I looked over at the clock. It was barely after six in the goddamn morning. On a fucking Saturday! "Why are you waking me up so fucking early?"

"Cause we gotta go," he laughed, tossing me a pair of jeans, one of his long sleeve dress shirts, and my coat. "Hurry."

Before I could say anything, Charlie turned and walked out of my room, shutting the door behind him. I laid there for a minute trying to figure out what the hell was going on but in the end, I got up and changed into the clothes he had given me. Whatever we were doing today was important to Charlie so I would go with him.

Once I was ready, I headed downstairs. He and Renee were in the kitchen. He was pouring coffee into two large thermoses and Renee was packing snack foods into a small red and white cooler. They both had huge smiles on their faces and I couldn't help but smile with them. It had been a long time since I had seen them this happy. Charlie screwed the lid onto one of the thermoses and looked back at me, causing him to smile even bigger.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Where are we going?" I asked, cautiously.

"Fishing," he smiled. I smiled back at him and nodded my head.

"Yeah, let's go," I squealed.

Charlie and Renee both laughed as I grabbed the cooler from my mother. "Have fun and be careful," she laughed. I turned and hugged her.

"We will," I murmured. "Love you."

"I love you, too," she smiled, kissing my cheek.

I pulled away and followed Charlie out to his car. He already had our fishing rods and tackle box in the backseat. Clearly, he was excited. I placed the cooler in the backseat and climbed into the front seat with him. He had a huge smile on his face as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway. With one last look at me, he shifted into drive and headed up onto the highway.

A few minutes later, Charlie pulled his car up close to his favorite fishing spot. We climbed out, grabbed our gear and lunch, and headed down to go fishing. When I was little, Charlie and I would come down here and go fishing every couple of months or so. There was an old, wooden dock that stretched about twenty yards over the water. Charlie would wrap me up in blankets and we would sit on the edge of the dock and fish. Normally, I got tired of it after about an hour and would pull out a book and read while he fished. I had really missed this while I was gone.

Charlie lead me down the same dock and we settled down. I had a blanket wrapped around me, trying to keep what little body heat I had. Charlie got our poles baited and we cast off. I scooted over and laid my head on Charlie's shoulder, earning me a soft sigh. It wasn't a sigh of aggravation or irritation but sheer and complete happiness. I think we both had missed our father/daughter time. Even after I came back from Brazil, I had so much work to do on myself that I pushed Charlie and Renee away a little.

"This is nice," I murmured.

"I think so, too," he said, quietly. "I've missed this. I didn't even realize how much I missed this but I have."

"Dad, I know that I haven't made things easy-"

"No, don't go there," said Charlie, interrupting me. I leaned away and looked up at him. "Bella, nothing about what you went through has been easy. None of us expected you to come home and be the joyful and happy girl all the time. We just wanted to help you but we didn't know how."

"I didn't know how to let you help me," I muttered, tightening the blanket around me. "I thought that if I kept it all from you that I was protecting you for the pain. I didn't see that it didn't matter. You and Mom were going to hurt regardless on if I told you or not. It was just…"

"Just what?" he asked.

"I didn't want you to see me as that girl who cowered away in the corner," I whispered.

"We never saw you as that girl, Bella," said Charlie, smiling as he pushed the hair out of my face. "We always saw you as the amazingly strong girl… no woman, who never gave up."

"Do you mean that?" I asked, feeling my eyes filling up with tears.

"Yes," he whispered, sniffing back his tears. "Baby, you lived through a lot of hell and look at you. You were strong enough to come home. Strong enough to let Garrett and Kate help you and even though letting you go was the hardest thing we had ever had to do, we know it was the right decision. You've proven that you aren't going to let anyone hurt you again, not even us. I've never been prouder of you."

"I really needed to hear that," I cried, softly.

"I'll tell you more often," vowed Charlie, slipping his arm around me and pulling me into his arms. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah, I'm warm enough," I smiled, nestling myself into his arms.

A moment later, I felt a tug on my fishing pole. I squealed as I started reeling my line back in. Charlie wrapped his arms around me and helped me pull it back in. The line popped out of the water with a huge fish wiggling on the end. Charlie unhooked it and tossed it back into the water, smiling at me. Today was going to be a catch and release kind of a day.

Charlie and I fished for the rest of the morning. We both managed to catch a couple of other fishes. We drank our coffee and ate our muffins Renee had packed for us. We talked a little but we mostly sat there in silence and just enjoyed being together. Just after eleven, Charlie handed me a tuna fish sandwich. I busted out laughing and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I can't believe mom made us tuna fish sandwiches to eat while we are fishing." I was laughing so hard that I snorted, causing Charlie to throw his head back and laugh even harder. "I mean, is it like a message to the fish?"

"It's a warning," he snickered. "Take the bait and become our lunch. Fish beware."

"Do you think they got he message?" I asked, taking a small bite.

"Doubt it," chuckled Charlie, taking a bite of his. "Have you decided if you are going to Dartmouth?"

"Yes," I smiled. "I'm kind of getting excited and really scared."

"Why are you scared?" he asked.

"Because it's going to be different. New people, more stares, I'm sure," I muttered, looking out over the water. "Plus, you and Mom won't be there."

"You'll be ok, honey," smiled Charlie. I looked over at him. "You're going to have Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, and, most importantly, you are going to have Edward. They are going to take care of you."

"But they shouldn't have to," I frowned.

"No, they shouldn't," he admitted. "But they will because they love you."

"I know," I murmured, finishing my lunch. I tossed my trash back into the cooler and wrapped the blanket around my arms again. "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," he smiled.

"Do you miss being a cop?" I asked. Charlie took a deep breath as he looked over the water.

"Honestly?" he asked. "Sometimes but at the same time, I like working with your mom."

"Oh," I said, nodding my head. "I'm glad you aren't a cop anymore."

"Why?" he asked, looking down at me. I bit my lip as I look out at the water.

"Because then I won't have to worry about you getting hurt as much," I muttered.

"You don't need to worry about me, honey," he whispered, leaning over and kissing the top of my head.

"I know," I murmured, "but I still do."

Charlie didn't say anything else as he finished his sandwich and tossed his plastic bag back into the cooler. I pulled my knees up and wrapped the blanket around myself as he went back to fishing. After another hour or so, Charlie and I packed it in for the day. He carried the fishing poles and tackle box while I carried the cooler, thermoses and blanket. We loaded everything into the car and shut the back doors.

"Here," said Charlie, tossing me his keys. I caught them and looked back at him. He was smiling. "It's time you learn."

"Are you serious?" I asked, nearly squealing with excitement.

"Yep," he laughed.

"YAY!" I squealed, jumping up and down.

I ran around the car and hugged Charlie, causing him to laugh even harder, before climbing in behind the wheel. Charlie climbed into the passenger seat and pulled on his seatbelt, making sure to exaggerate how tight he was making it. However, I chose to ignore him and put my own seatbelt on. I stuck the key into the ignition and started the car.

"Ok, now, you know which is the brake and gas, right?" he asked, placing his hand on the back of my seat.

"I know, Dad," I smiled. "I read the drivers manual when I was ten, remember?"

"Yes, but there is a huge difference in the manual and actually driving," he chuckled. "Now, adjust your mirrors and shift the car into reverse."

I smiled as I adjusted the rearview and side mirror so that I could see around me better. I took a deep breath as I pressed my left foot onto the brake and shifted the car from park and into reverse. I looked over at him, waiting for him to tell me what to do next.

"Ok, slowly, I mean, really slowly, ease your foot off the brake," he said. I looked back as I slowly lifted my foot off the brake. The car jerked back and I squeaked as I slammed my foot back onto the brake, causing Charlie to laugh. "It's ok. You can do this."

"I know," I muttered, looking behind me again.

Once again, I lifted my foot off the brake. The car started rolling backwards out of the parking space and I turned the wheel slowly. I pressed back down on the brake as soon as we were out of the spot and shifted the car into drive. Charlie placed his hand on my shoulder as I took my foot off the brake and gently pressed down on the gas. The car lurched forward and I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I started to drive us home.

"You're doing great," cheered Charlie.

I smiled but didn't dare look at him. Charlie instructed me to drive around on a few of the back roads before telling me to pull out onto the highway. I must have had a look of sheer fear on my face because he told me to take a deep breath and pull out. I did as he said and pulled his car out into the highway. Laughing softly, I started the drive back into Forks.

A few minutes later, I pulled the car into the driveway and cut the engine but instead of getting out immediately, I sat there. Charlie had no idea how much it meant to me that he taught me how to drive. It had always been one of those things that everyone else got to do but I didn't. I looked over at my father as the tears welled up in my eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Honey, talk to me," he said, quietly. "You're scaring me."

"Thank you, Daddy," I cried, softly. "I had the best time today between the fishing and… learning to drive."

"Today was a great day for me, too," he smiled, reaching over and wiping my tears off. "I never thought I would get to teach you how to drive."

"Me either," I whispered, leaning into his hand. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too," he murmured.

Charlie and I climbed out of the car, grabbed everything, and headed inside the house. Emmett, Rose, Garrett, and Kate were sitting in the living room watching a movie. Emmett smiled when he saw Charlie with our fishing poles. He nodded his head as he turned back to the movie. Garrett and Kate were cuddled up together, lost in their own little world. It was sweet and endearing.

I followed Charlie into the kitchen. Renee was sitting at the table, cutting coupons. She looked up at the two of us and smiled. "Did you have fun?" she asked.

"A lot," I said, sitting across from her. Renee nodded and pulled an envelope out of her pocket, handing it to me.

"Edward asked me to give you this," she said, smiling. I took it from her and opened it.

**B, **

**Be ready at 7:00. Dress warm. I love you.**

**E**

I looked from the letter over to Renee, who was grinning like a fool. "Do you know what he is planning?" I asked.

"Maybe," she smirked, standing up. "All I know is that I was told that you need to be ready and I am supposed to help you."

"Spa day?" I asked, hopefully.

"Spa day," she said, nodding her head.

I followed Renee upstairs and tried to figure out what Edward's plans were for us tonight. Knowing him, it could be anything but one thing I knew, it would be amazing.

**Thank you for all the reviews. One more chapter and the epilogue to go. **


	49. Chapter 49

**This story deals with the aftermath of kidnapping, rape, and extreme physical violence. It is dark and quite graphic. **

I followed Renee upstairs to my bedroom. She led me into the bathroom and started pulling out our special shampoo and conditioner. As we did the morning after I cut my back and arms, I bent over the side of the bathtub and let my mother wash my hair. Just as it did then, her fingers felt amazing on my skin. The only difference was that this time, I wasn't nervous about her touching me, or seeing the scars on my body when I had to take my shirt off. It was nice not feeling afraid of my mother.

Once she had shampooed my hair twice and conditioned it, she wrapped a towel around it and I sat up. She had me sit on a chair in front of the vanity while she towel dried my hair. She smiled at me in the mirror as she pulled out the hair dryer and started drying my long, brown hair. I watched her in the mirror as she pampered over me. She had a huge smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She was happy and that made me happy. After she dried my hair, she pulled out the hot rollers and started pulling my hair up. She was going to make sure I looked my very best for whatever Edward had planned for me tonight.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Anything," she smiled.

"Do you miss teaching?" I asked. Renee pursed her lips together as she secured the last roller in my hair. She sat down on the toilet and looked at me.

"I do," she admitted, pulling my hand into hers. She reached up and grabbed a pale pink nail polish and started painting my nails. "There is something magical about watching a child learn. The way their eyes sparkle when they've been struggling to understand something we've been learning. It's kind of like watching you read."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Renee smiled as she moved onto my other hand.

"When you are absorbed in a book," she said. "You get this little smile on your face. I swear, we could have a marching band sitting right in front of you and you won't even notice them."

"I suppose that's true," I smiled. "Have you thought about going back to teaching?"

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "It's been too long and I wouldn't be able to do it."

"Sounds like fear talking to me," I murmured. Renee let go of my hand and placed the polish back on the counter. "Mom."

"I'm terrified about going back to work as a teacher," she whispered, looking up at me. "When you were taken…" Renee trailed off as she shook her head. "I would see those kids, sitting in their desks and all I could think of was that it used to be you. That it should be you. One day, I was sitting at my desk and I was watching them as they worked on a math assignment and I just couldn't do it anymore. So after school, I typed out my letter of resignation and took to the principal. He tried to talk me into staying but…" Renee shook her head again. "I just couldn't. We only had a couple of weeks left in the school years so I somehow got through it and never looked back."

"That's a shame," I frowned. "You were a good teacher, Mom. You made learning fun."

"I tried," she chuckled, standing back up and taking a deep breath. "Now, let's get you ready for your big date."

"Are you sure you won't tell me where Edward is taking me?" I asked. Renee laughed and shook her head as she started pulling out my make-up. "Oh, well, I had to try."

Renee smiled as she helped me do my makeup. She knew that I still wasn't comfortable wearing it but put on just enough that it added some color to my cheeks. She pulled the curlers out of my hair and ran the brush through it, leaving it down so that it bounced off my back. She left me alone so I could get dressed. Of course that was the hardest part. I didn't know where Edward was taking me. All I knew was that I was to dress warm. In the end, I decided to wear a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt with a large white heart in the middle. I added my black leather boots and my leather jacket. I had just tied my boots when someone knocked on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I called. The door was pushed open and I saw Emmett standing there. He leaned against the doorframe with a huge smile on his face.

"So you're going out tonight, huh?" he asked.

"Yep," I smiled, standing up. "Do I look ok?"

"You look alright," he said, smirking. I rolled my eyes. "I'm kidding. You look beautiful."

"Thanks, Em," I murmured.

"Bella," he said, looking down at the floor. It was the first time on probably twelve years that he called me Bella and not B.

"Emmett?" I asked. He looked up at me and I noticed tears in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, quickly. "I just… I wanted to tell you that…well, I'm happy for you and Edward and…even though, it's the hardest thing I've ever done, I…well, I have to let you go and let him take care of you now."

"Emmett," I whispered, shaking my head. I crossed the room and slipped my arms around my big brother. "I'm always going to need you, Emmett. You were the first person who knew everything…the only person I could truly trust not to turn on me. I will always need my big brother."

"What happened to me only being two minutes older than you?" he whispered, wrapping his arms around me.

"Still older, right?" I murmured.

"Yeah," he said, pressing his lips down onto the top of my head. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too, Emmett," I murmured as the doorbell rang..

"Well, you had better get downstairs," laughed Emmett.

"Thank you, Emmett," I whispered. "For bringing me home."

"You're welcome," he said, smiling.

I followed Emmett downstairs and saw Edward standing next to the front door. He had a scared look on his face that I didn't quite understand until I looked over at my father. Charlie was sitting on the couch, polishing his shotgun with a big smile on his face. I should have been pissed off but I wasn't. It was Charlie's way of letting me grow up and it meant everything to me. My eyes filled up with tears as I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around my father.

"Thank you, Daddy," I whispered.

"It's my job to scare the boyfriend, right?" he asked. "Even if I think he's a good man who has done nothing but take care of my little girl."

"That's right, Daddy," I laughed, kissing his cheek. "You do your job well."

"I try," he smirked, standing up. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder as he looked over at Edward, placed a stern look on his face and said, "Edward, treat my little girl with respect or else."

"I will, sir," said Edward, fighting the smile the threatened to spread across his face. "You have my word."

"Good," smiled Charlie. He placed his shotgun on the coffee table and dug a quarter out of his pocket and handed it to me. "In case, you need me."

"Dad," I snorted. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he smirked.

I giggled to myself as I walked over to Edward and shoved the quarter into my pocket. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked out of the house, down the front walk, and out to his car. He opened the door for me and I slide in. I turned to put on my seat belt and saw Charlie and Renee standing on the front porch of our house while Carlisle and Esme stood on the front porch of Edward's house. Edward climbed into the car and I looked over at him.

"I know I should be embarrassed," I said, "but I can't be."

"I know I should be scared of your dad," said Edward, smirking, "but I'm not. He paid me twenty bucks to look scared when you came downstairs."

"You did," I admitted. Edward laughed as he pulled on his seatbelt and started the car. "Are you going to tell me where we are going?"

"Nope," he smirked. "It's a surprise."

I scowled but didn't say anything as Edward drove us out of Forks. If I pushed, I knew Edward would tell me but this was clearly important to him. He had made a lot of effort to make this a memorable night for the both of us and I wouldn't take that away from him. As Edward drove out of town, I just stared at him. He was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans, a white dress shirt that he had left untucked, and a black sports jacket. He had never looked more handsome but it had nothing to do with the clothes that he worn and everything to do with the smile on his face. He was genuinely happy.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked.

"Cause I can," I smiled. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes I still have to tell myself that you are really here."

"I'm here, love," he smiled, looking over at me. "I'm always going to be here."

"I know," I murmured.

Edward turned left onto a dark, country road. I hooked my arm in with his and watched where he was taking me. A few minutes later, he pulled his car through a set of rusty gates. He drove past a few trees and I gasped. Edward had driven us to an old drive in movie. He parked his car in the front row and climbed out of the car. He came around and helped me out.

"E, what are we doing here?" I asked.

"We came to watch a movie," he smiled, popping the trunk on his car. He pulled out two camping chairs and two blankets. He shut the trunk and put the chairs in front of the car. "Sit down."

"What movie are we going to watch?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," he laughed.

I sighed as I sat down in one of the chairs. Edward handed me the thicker of the two blankets before he pulled his chair right up next to mine. He spread his blanket over his lap and placed his arm on the back of me seat, pulling me a little closer to him. A moment later, the screen flickered as the movie started.

As the opening credits started to roll, I gasped again and looked up at Edward. He was watching me with a huge smile on his face. I could feel the tears building in my eyes as I looked over and started watching the 1939 film version of Wuthering Heights. Edward leaned over and pressed his lips to the side of my head.

"I love you, B," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I murmured, wiping my tears off.

I snuggled into Edward's side as we watched the movie. I don't know how he did this but in that moment, I knew that I was lucky to have him love me so much that he would track down my favorite movie for me. He was the sweetest, kindest man in the world and he was mine. Edward kept his arm around me as we watched the movie. It was pretty cold out and we snuggled in our blankets, watching our breath puff out of our mouths like smoke. It made me smile to think about how when we were little, the six of us, would pretend that we were smoking when it got cold like that. Our parents would call us all dorks but they would laugh with us. Funny, the things that you remember from your childhood.

"Did you like it?" asked Edward as the final credits started to roll. I laid my head on his shoulder.

"No," I murmured. "I loved it. I can't believe you did this."

"You always loved the movie so much." He pressed his lips to mine. "I want to give you the world, B."

"You already have," I smiled. "As long as I have you, Edward, I have my world."

"You will always have me," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed me again. "Now, we have to go, though. We have one more stop."

"I would ask where but I know you aren't going to tell me," I smiled. "So let's go."

Edward laughed as we stood up. We got the chairs and blankets put back in the car. Edward turned and waved at an old man who was standing back by the old concession stand. I couldn't make out much of his features but I had a feeling that he was smiling. I climbed back into the car and silently thanked Edward for turning on the heater. He drove us back into town and down to the school. He parked by the elementary school.

I raised an eyebrow at him as he lead me back to the old playground. They closed it off a year or so before I was taken because they had built a new playground but I had always liked the old one. Edward pulled me over to the swings and motioned for me to sit. I smiled as I sat in the swing and let him start pushing me.

"How many times did I push you on this swing when we were kids?" he asked.

"At least a hundred," I laughed. "You never complained about it, though."

"I liked it," said Edward, pushing me even higher. "You would laugh or squeal when I pushed you really high."

"I remember," I murmured.

"I used to come here," said Edward. "After you were taken, I would come here. I would sit on this swing and imagine that you were with me."

"Oh E," I whispered.

"I wanted to bring you back here so many times after you came home but I knew you weren't ready," he said, pulling me to a stop. He moved in front of me and grabbed my hands and he knelt down in front of me. "I wanted to help you see that you were never really gone because we, you and I, were here. On this playground, on that hammock, in each others hearts."

"Edward," I cried. Edward released one of my hands and brought his up and wiped my tears off.

"I love you, Isabella Swan," he whispered, pulling out a small velvet box out of his pocket. My mouth fell open as I gasped. He flipped the box open. Inside, there was a small, princess cut diamond ring nestle in the black velvet lining. "Will you marry me?"

"Edward," I whispered. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"I'm not saying that we have to get married in a month or even in a year," he said. "I just want you marry me one day."

"Of course, I will," I smiled, raising my hand up to his cheek. "When we are both ready."

"I'll wait as long as it takes," he said, smiling. "Will you wear the ring?"

"Yes," I said, nodding my hand. Edward smiled as he slid the ring onto my left hand. He leaned up and pressed his lips onto mine. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, Bella," he murmured. "I always have and I always will."

"Forever."

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	50. Epilogue

**Ten years later**

"Where to?" asked the man behind the wheel as I slid into the backseat of his cab.

"Seattle Memorial Hospital," I said, looking out the window.

The man nodded his head, letting his eyes linger for a moment on the scars that came up onto the side of my neck. I ignored him. After ten years, it was something that I was used to, even if it still pissed me off when people stared at me like I was a freak.

In the two weeks following my return to Forks, I was bombarded with phone calls and letters from reporters and TV crews who wanted to interview me. I turned them all down. I didn't need or want to have my face and story plastered all over the place, even though it already was. Garrett was receiving the same attention and we just tried to push through it the best we could. We were lucky to have Kate and Edward. They both understood the daily struggle we went through.

Garrett and I worked nearly everyday on our relaxation techniques. Peter and Charlotte had gone back to the island to help with everything while Garrett and Kate were gone. It was important that the girls and boys who would be there next have the same kind of support I had. They needed it. Kate and I worked on my judo with the others. It was even more important now than ever that we feel safe in our own bodies.

Charlie, Renee, Carlisle, and Esme understood that we needed time. They were always willing to hold one of us when we cried, and we did cry. Garrett and Kate had both gotten to the point of calling Charlie and Renee, mom and dad all the time. I think it meant almost as much to Charlie and Renee as it did to Garrett and Kate. Rose and Jasper never talked with Will and Cat again. They put their house up for sale and left Forks. We had no idea where they went. I hoped that one day Rose and Jasper get them back but I knew they may not.

School was ok. Most of the kids seemed to be dealing with their pain and fears. They stopped calling Lauren and Jessica names but they were still ignoring them. Jessica and Mike were still going strong. Jessica had told me they were going to counseling together. I was glad for them. No matter what my problems were with either of them, I wanted them to be happy. I still hadn't spoken to Mike, Tyler or Eric after the hall incident. I wasn't mad at them any more but I knew I wasn't ready to talk to them yet. I just needed more time. Lauren and Tyler were still seeing each other. It was obvious to all of us that they loved each other. I was happy they seemed to be able to find their way.

We left for Phoenix two days before the trial of Alec Mitchell was scheduled to begin. Garrett, Kate and I were joined by Edward, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, and our parents. We were grateful that we would have the support of our family. Garrett and I both went and prepped our testimony with Siobhan the day before the trial began. It was going to be hard to sit in front of everyone and tell about what he did to me but we would figure out how to push through the pain, through the fear.

When the trial started, we were thrown into a court room circus. The case had been ordered to be held behind closed doors. The jurors were issued a gag order to keep them from divulging any details of the case. Siobhan called Garrett to the stand first. He gave them a detailed account of the day I took him to the police station in Phoenix and Alec's assault on me that day. The police officers that were watching through the mirrored window confirmed his account of the day's events. I was called to the stand on the fifth day of the trial.

I sat on the stand and gave my detailed account of the rape that had occurred just months prior. His attorney tried to call me a liar, tried to make it seem like I had mistaken him for one of the numerous other men who had raped me in my six years in hell. Then the prosecution brought out the tape. I sat there on the stand while they showed the jurors and the judge the tape of his assault on me. I sat there sobbing to myself while they listened to me scream for help, scream for him to stop. I sat there and sobbed while they watched him cut into my skin and leave me with my tormentor.

When we got back to the hotel that night, my parents held me in their arms in the middle of the floor and we cried together. It had been hard for them to sit there in the courtroom and watch Alec Mitchell's assault on me. It was hard knowing that he wasn't the first, or the last, man to have hurt me like that but they were determined to be there for me, and they were. It was the hardest moment I had faced since my return to Forks.

After two more days of testimony, the jurors went into deliberations. It took them nearly three days to come back with their verdict. I was nervous that they would find him not guilty. I knew that if he ever got out, he would kill me and Garrett. We anxiously sat in the courtroom, surrounded by our family and friends as the juror declared Alec Mitchell guilty on rape, conspiracy to kidnap, and numerous other charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. I felt a piece of my soul heal that day. A very small piece but a piece nonetheless.

Two months later, we found ourselves in another courtroom. This time we were in Chicago. We were there for Garrett as he faced his parents and the men who had hurt him. It was a difficult process for him and the rest of us. The jurors found Jane and Alec Mitchell, as well as the other fifteen men, guilty of rape, assault, and kidnapping. They were all sentenced with life in prison. It was a healing day for Garrett and Kate.

Garrett and Kate went back to the island to restart their lives together while the rest of us went back to Forks. It was hard for me to be away from my best friend but I knew that I could do it. We talked on the phone daily, and it helped us both deal with the anxiety we felt from being apart. Edward held me while I cried on the phone with Garrett and I knew that Kate was doing the same for him. They understood our friendship and just how much we needed each other.

Emmett, Edward, Rose, Alice, Jasper and I all graduated from high school the following June. When I walked across that stage to get my diploma, I could feel my hands shaking and my heart racing. Just when I thought I was going to lose it, I looked down at the other end of the stage and saw Edward waiting for me. I nearly ran into his arms and the second I was there, I felt a calmness wash over me.

The six of us, along with Charlie, Renee, Carlisle, and Esme, went to visit Garrett and Kate on the Island after graduation. Our parents fell in love with the place and finally understood why that is where I went when I needed to feel safe. They finally understood why to me, the island was my refuge when things got hard.

Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Edward, and I went Dartmouth in the fall. It was hard for our parents to let us go but they understood that we needed to do this. This was our time to be together. They were the typical parents and called and nagged us about not coming home enough. I loved every minute of it.

Emmett graduated with a degree in psychology. He worked with the kids Garrett brought to the island. He is amazingly patience with his kids. Rose got a law degree. She works on the island through the legal stand point. She makes sure that we are covered for everything we need to be. They were married four years ago on the island. Jasper got a degree in business. He runs the business side of the island. Alice got a degree in art. She started an art therapy program on the island. They were married two years ago on the island.

Edward and I both went to medical school and became doctors. I also studied psychology. I came to work for Garrett five years ago and Edward joined us two years ago. It was hard spending so much of that time apart but we visited each other as much as we could. After a nine year engagement, we were finally married a year ago on the island. It was the happiest day of my life. Charlie let his tears fall freely as he placed my hand in Edward's and finally let me go.

After nearly a year of trying, Garrett and Kate were able to conceive. Nine months later, Kate gave birth to my goddaughter, Isabella Irina Mitchell. She is the most beautiful little girl. She has Kate's blond hair and Garrett's grey eyes. She has Kate's sassiness and Garrett's temper. Irina, as they call her, is the light of all our lives. It was hard for me at first, knowing that I could never have children of my own but Irina was just as much mine as she was theirs.

Edward and I have been talking about trying to adopt. I'm not sure we are ready to take the plunge yet but maybe we will be someday. There are a lot of kids out there that could use a stable home and maybe we will find the one or two that were meant to be with us. For now, we just concentrated on helping the people we brought to the island. They were our kids in so many ways.

I was shaken out of my thoughts as the cab pulled up in front of the hospital. As I climbed out of the cab, I toss the driver some money and make my way inside the Seattle hospital. I made my way up the elevator to the third floor and down to room 305. I paused at the door and took a deep breath before I pushed the door open.

"…we just want our Kelsey back," cried the woman, standing next to the bed.

"You can't have the old Kelsey back," I said. The three people standing beside the hospital bed turn and looked up at me. The most familiar face breaks out into a wide smile as he crosses the room to me.

"Bella, thanks for coming. You look great, sweetheart," said Carlisle as he hugged me.

"Thanks, Carlisle. You look pretty good also," I said. I pulled away from him and we look back at Kelsey's parents.

"Jeremy and Carrie Bradford, this is my daughter, Dr. Isabella Cullen," said Carlisle.

"It's nice to meet you," said Carrie.

"You too. I wish it was under different circumstances but it's not," I said as I shut the door behind me.

"What did you mean about not getting the old Kelsey back?" asked Jeremy.

"I mean that the old Kelsey is dead. She died as soon as that monster touched her. The new Kelsey is someone who is going to struggle everyday for the rest of her life with the pain and shame she feels for what happened to her," I explained.

"What do you know about her case?" asked Carrie.

"I only know that she was found in an alley three months ago. She had been raped and nearly beaten to death. She refuses to talk about what happened and had turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the pain she feels. You both found her in the bathroom after she tried to kill herself by slicing her wrists," I said. "What you both have to understand is that Kelsey feels like neither of you understand what she is dealing with. It's true, you don't."

"And you do?" asked Jeremy, harshly.

"Yes, I do," I said. "Without going into details, I know exactly how Kelsey is feeling. See for a long time, I felt like I was alone in my pain. I tried to bury my pain and pretend that I had everything together but then it built up and up until one day, I became so overwhelmed that I landed in the same position that Kelsey is in. If you don't let her come with me, in a year you will be standing at her grave."

"Go with you where?" asked Carrie.

"Isabella helps run a program that helps people in Kelsey's situation," said Carlisle.

"I will teach her how to deal with her pain. I will teach her how to deal with her panic, her shame. I will teach her how to fight back so she feels that she is able to take care of herself," I said.

"Where is this program at?" asked Carrie.

"Brazil," I said. They both snapped their heads up at me.

"You can't take her to Brazil," snapped Jeremy.

"Would you rather her stay here and be dead in year?" I snapped. They both flinched backwards. "Because if you don't let her come with me, I guarantee you that she will be. You have to let her go if you want her to come back to you."

"I know this is hard for you both," said Carlisle, giving me a soft smile. "I was in this same position myself once. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do but if I hadn't, Isabella wouldn't be standing here with us. If I hadn't, I would have lost more than just my daughter."

"Let her come with me. I promise to never give up on her. I promise to bring her back," I said, sincerely.

"Ok," whispered Carrie, through her tears. "We'll let her go."

"Just take care of my baby," cried Jeremy.

"I promise," I said. "Here's how it's going to work. As soon as she is awake, we are gone. I have a plane sitting on the runway at the airport. I need someone to go pack her two suitcases worth of clothes. Nothing but clothes."

"I'll do it," whispered Carrie.

"Ok, once she wakes up and realizes that she is coming with me, she's going to be super pissed. She is going to scream, yell, call you names. She is going to tell you that she hates you and that this is all your fault. She doesn't mean it. Tell her that you love her and you will be here when she comes back. Do not hug or kiss her. She needs all this anger to convince herself to go with me," I explained.

"How are you going to get her on the plane?" asked Jeremy.

"I am going to handcuff myself to her," I said.

"Oh," muttered Jeremy.

"Go get her stuff and bring it here," I said.

Carrie just nodded and left. I settled into one of the seats and talked a little with Carlisle. I hadn't seen him in nearly year. After we left for school, Carlisle started working more with rape victims and their families. He has consulted with us on a couple other cases over the past few years. Twenty minutes later, Carrie came back with the suitcases. I took the suitcases and loaded them onto the plane. I went back to the hospital and heard Kelsey screaming from the hallway.

"I HATE YOU ALL. YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO GET RID OF ME BECAUE YOU HATE ME!" she screamed. I threw the door to her room open.

"That's about enough of that shit," I said. She snapped her head over to me.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" she growled.

"I'm the person who is going to fucking save your life so shut the fuck up and listen to your parents." I snapped.

"Kelsey, we love you and we promise to be here when you get back," whispered Carrie, through her tears. She turned and walked out of the room.

"Kelsey, we love you and we promise to be here when you get back," whispered Jeremy, through his tears. He reached out to grab her hand but pulled his hand back quickly and ran out of the room. Carlisle gave me a soft smile and followed them out.

"I HATE YOU BOTH!" she screamed.

"Oh, shut the fuck up already," I said, going over to her bed. "My name is Bella. You and I are going to be good friends."

"Get the fuck away from me," she growled. I just chuckled as I slapped the cuffs on her. "GET THESE OFF OF ME."

"Sorry, honey, but I can't do that," I smiled. "See, I know this really nice Judge in Arizona who didn't like it when I told him how you tried to kill yourself. He gave me a court order that forces you to go with me."

"Where?" she snapped.

"You will find out soon enough, honey," I said.

I pulled her out of the bed and we made our way out of the hospital and out to the cab. We climbed in and the driver stared at us. I growled at him and he quickly turned around and took off. We made it to the airport and I dragged Kelsey onto the plane and buckled her seatbelt. The plane took off and I took the handcuff off of her.

"Where are you taking?" she snapped.

"Brazil," I said, simply.

"WHAT!" she screamed.

"Stop fucking screaming or I will sedate your ass," I snapped. "Look, you don't have to like me right now. Believe me, I've been in your shoes but I am going to help you and I am going to take you home as soon as you are better. This is your last shot at getting your life back."

"Who said I wanted it back?" she whispered as she brought her knees up to her chest.

"Honey, I know how hard it is. I really, really do. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that everything will be ok. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that everything is going to be easy because it's not. Everyday for the rest of your life you are going to struggle to breathe each morning without having a panic attack. Every night you are going to go to bed praying that your monster doesn't come to you in your nightmares. I don't know what happened to you. I don't know what all you've been through. But I will promise you this, I will never give up on you."

"Do you promise?" she whispered, letting her tears fall down her face freely. I reached over and took her hand in mine. Her eyes traveled down to the scars that laid there.

"I promise," I said, quietly. "One day, you are going to thank me for this."

**Thank you for all the reviews over this story. As difficult as it was writing this, even the second time through, it will always be one of my favorites. There were so many emotions flooding through me with each chapter and I hope that they came out. Again, thank you for all the support over this story.**


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